tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2623262538646880122024-03-13T23:17:49.539-07:00Paleo-OrthodoxyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger250125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-9527360601441872092023-12-15T18:19:00.000-08:002023-12-16T08:36:33.425-08:00Toward a Holistic Apologetic Method<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-omBnB4_IAdOIx57IwTYuxqgRIsU4jpRt2GcdD12qyq0ony51pgDldFiNrM9SlqmeIx9aSYnEHfSV5_mmGkK_1VV-vTzk2cahK0E3UHcQUccWp9Yuexv4kQTAJQWwJceVuBsQfTDC6QLiv5ugHYMx5Cb8kPIDMgXkvTJLtv1i0kv0c2YpU2sEKT_Au22/s474/OIP.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="474" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-omBnB4_IAdOIx57IwTYuxqgRIsU4jpRt2GcdD12qyq0ony51pgDldFiNrM9SlqmeIx9aSYnEHfSV5_mmGkK_1VV-vTzk2cahK0E3UHcQUccWp9Yuexv4kQTAJQWwJceVuBsQfTDC6QLiv5ugHYMx5Cb8kPIDMgXkvTJLtv1i0kv0c2YpU2sEKT_Au22/s320/OIP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>I<span style="font-family: inherit;">ntroduction</span></b></div></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Apologetics has a significant presence in the Christian
tradition, stretching from the various authors of the New Testament who sought to present evidence for their
faith in Jesus as the Messiah, to the
Church Fathers as they struggled with various heretical teachings
that arose within the young Church
and the Pagan cultural milieu in which they lived, down to the modern
era wherein we see the Church
responding to Atheistic Naturalism, radical theories in sexuality,
family and governance. In each
era the Church has had to learn new methods for effectively
responding to questions and challenges to biblical beliefs and the biblical worldview. In the
Twenty-first century it is important that </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">we too
take stock of the scope and methods of our apologetic heritage with
an eye toward changing </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">and
adapting where necessary. It is no longer sufficient to rely on one
approach. Post-modern society, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">having
moved to the logical end of the errors of the Enlightenment, demands
an apologetic method </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">that
can respond to the various types of skeptical inquiry. While the
Enlightenment emphasized reason, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">it
also placed emphasis on a hyper-naturalist worldview based on misguided ideas of what constitutes rational thought, leading to Atheism. One study
found that Atheism in the U.S. a</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">nd
U.K., with its emphasis on science as the source of all truth, acts
as a religion in the lives of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">adherents, providing some measure of meaning for them.</span><a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote1sym" name="sdfootnote1anc" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><sup>1</sup></a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">
This is a direct result of the rationalism of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">the
Enlightenment. As Andreas Kostenberger notes, the Enlightenment was:</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><i style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #201c14; font-family: inherit;">...characterized
by an antisupernatural bias and a critical—if not skeptical—spirit
that emphasized studying the Bible just as one would approach any
other book.<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote2sym" name="sdfootnote2anc"><sup>2</sup></a></span></i></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
As Western culture has progressed it has become ever
increasingly irrational in its demand </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">for
not simply the athiestic naturalist worldview, but an
anti-supernaturalism and even a rejection of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">the
very foundation of the Enlightenment-rationalism. Society has adopted
a Post-modern hyper-</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">subjective
worldview. That is, it has largely rejected reason and logic in favor
of subjective perceptions, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">opinions, likes and dislikes as though they were objective truth.
Koukl states much the same, writing:</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #201c14; font-family: inherit;"><i>The
truth is that effective persuasion in the twenty-first century
requires more than having the right answers. It’s too easy for
postmoderns to ignore our facts, deny our claims, or simply yawn
and walk </i></span><span style="color: #201c14; font-family: inherit;"><i>away from the line we have drawn in the</i></span><span style="color: #201c14; font-family: inherit;">
</span><span style="color: #201c14; font-family: inherit;"><i>sand.<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote3sym" name="sdfootnote3anc"><sup>3</sup></a></i></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
This means our apologetic method most be flexible and
integrate the various approaches </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">available to us. In turn, this requires apologists to discern the
strongest method and arguments for the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">various challenges, issues and even personality types the apologist
will encounter. In seeking a </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">synthesis of the Classical, Evidentialist, Presuppositionalist, and Experiential methods we broaden the scope of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">apologetics as well as broaden the potential appeal according to
personality, background, existing </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">presuppositions and the emotional proclivities of the skeptic. This in
turn makes our presentation of the </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">Gospel
more likely to fall on good soil, as it were. Our apologetics becomes
more personal. This is a </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">dynamic apologetic methodology. As Francis Schaeffer put it:</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #201c14; font-family: inherit;">We
cannot apply mechanical rules. We, of all people, should realize
this, for as Christians we believe that personality really does exist
and is important. We can lay down some general principles, but there
can be no automatic application. If we are truly personal, as created
by God, then each individual will differ from everyone else.
Therefore, each man must be dealt with as an individual, not as a
case, a statistic or a machine.<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote4sym" name="sdfootnote4anc"><sup>4</sup></a></span></i></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Apologetic Method
Overview</span></b></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
It is helpful to first briefly explore the various
apologetic methods we seek to synthesize. They are:</span></p>
<ul>
<li><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Classical</b>-
Classical apologetics relies on the faculties of reason and logic to
arrive at certain </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">conclusions.
It is significantly influenced by Classical Philosophy in form and
is most clearly </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">seen
in the works of Thomas Aquinas, Anselm of Canterbury, etc. It is a
very intellectual </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">approach to questions of faith and generally begins by arguing for
Theism and then for </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Christianity as the most reasonable form of Theism.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"></p>
</li><li><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Presuppositional</b>-
The Presuppositionalist will start from Sacred Scripture and argue
from it, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">assuming
the skeptic must acknowledge the authority of the Old and New
Testaments. This is </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">due
to the fact that most Presuppositionalists have a negative view of
the effectiveness of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">human
reason to arrive at spiritual truth apart from divine revelation.
This approach is seen in </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">the
works of Cornelius van Til and other Reformed theologians and
apologists.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"></p>
</li><li><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Experiential</b>-
The Experientialist shares the Presuppositionalists distrust of
human reason, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">preferring
to challenge the skeptic to a lived experience of the truths of the
Gospel. Rather than </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">rely
on arguments for any given proposition, they urge the skeptic to
test the truth claims in </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">their
own lives to judge the veracity of them. It also argues that we must
understand a skeptic's </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">personal background, whether it be cultural, ethnic, or familial, to
properly present the truths of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">the
Gospel to them. This method can be witnessed in the works of Myron
Penner, N.T. Wright </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">and many
in the “culturally </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">relevant”
wing of Evangelicalism.</span></p></li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">Evidential</b><b style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">- </b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">The
Evidentialist approach shares much in common with the Classical
approach. It </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">tends
to emphasize the evidence for the historical elements found in
Sacred Scripture, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">frequently dealing with such topics as the historical Jesus, His
death and His resurrection as </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">these
are frequently questioned. In doing so, this approach places
significant confidence in </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">human
reason and logic to comprehend and acknowledge the evidence
presented. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">Evidentialism is found throughout the New Testament, where the
authors either present </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">arguments for the historical events being </span>recounted or<span style="font-family: inherit;"> present the
testimony of those who were </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">themselves eyewitnesses to the events.</span></p></li></ul>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Weaknesses</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">
Each of these methods is certainly strong in their own
right and contribute to our apologetic </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">toolbox. However, we must also recognize the weaknesses of each,
since those weaknesses reveal </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">what
would be a more appropriate approach in specific situations. Again, a
brief examination of each </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">is
helpful. With regard to both the Classical and Evidentialist
approaches, they tend to place heavy </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">emphasis on reason and logic, which works well with educated skeptics
and those who appreciate </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">facts,
reasoned argumentation and logical thinking. However, in our
post-modern culture, where </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">emotion and subjective criteria are considered to be equally true and
valid as scientific and historical </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">facts,
reason and logic are easily dispensed with. The fact </span>is<span style="font-family: inherit;"> most
post-modernists are not moved by </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">such
arguments. They are ruled by emotion and whatever is the most recent
commonly accepted ideas, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">regardless
of whether these meet the test of truth. Therefore, the Classical and
Evidential approach will </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">not be
effective in all situations. Koukl accurately states:</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #201c14; font-family: inherit;">Moreover,
the Christian faith is much more than just an acceptance of facts
about God. The call of Christ is not to develop enough mental ability
or academic rigor to figure out the pathway to truth. Rather,
Christianity involves many different dimensions existing beyond
a mere mental assent to facts, such as stepping out in faith,
receiving grace, submitting to Jesus, accepting mystery, and
partaking in the love of God.<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote5sym" name="sdfootnote5anc"><sup>5</sup></a></span></i></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
The Presuppositionalist approach tends to emphasize that
any claims of good, bad, right, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">wrong,
etc. must have an objective and transcendent source, otherwise any
such claims remain mere </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">subjective opinions and have no binding force. In fact, many will
even suggest reason itself must be </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">grounded in the transcendent. As correct as these arguments are, they
generally do little to move the </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">skeptic's needle, as it were, in the direction of salvation.
Discussion of the irrationality of the skeptic's </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">worldview based on transcendental arguments can be used against the
apologist, as Koukl makes clear.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #201c14; font-family: inherit;">...according
to their own contrasting framework of rationality, many will find
certain Christian doctrines themselves irrational (e.g., the full
deity and full humanity of Christ existing as one person or the
doctrine of the Trinity), so the claim that their non-Christian view
is irrational could easily be turned back on the apologist.<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote6sym" name="sdfootnote6anc"><sup>6</sup></a></span></i></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
It should also be noted that the Presuppositionalist's
insistence on starting any response to </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">challenges with the quoting of Sacred Scripture usually leads to a
fruitless discussion, as most skeptics </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">do not
view it as an authority. In fact, most disregard it altogether, so
using endless quotes achieves </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">nothing. It is first necessary to establish a foundation of agreed
upon premises upon which to build the </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">discussion.
This might require the apologist to shift into a more Classical or
Evidential approach, again </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">depending on the character and personality of the individual skeptic.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">
Finally, the Experiential approach, which tends to
emphasize the individual's own lived </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">experiences and cultural framework is effective in many missionary
oriented ministries that bring </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Christians into contact with very </span>tradition-oriented<span style="font-family: inherit;"> cultures, such
as those of the Far East, as well as </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">many
of the cultures and people groups of the Middle East. It may also
have some impact on Western </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">post-modernists
who focus on emotion and lived experiences for drawing conclusions
about life and </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">the
world around them, since it provides a challenge to them to
experience the claims of Christianity </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">for
themselves, bypassing the usual criticisms and going to the heart of
the gospel life. In writing of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">the
strengths of this method, Koukl states that it:</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #201c14; font-family: inherit;"><i>...warns
against a dry rationalism, rightly recognizing that Scripture does
much more than simply appeal to our brains.<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote7sym" name="sdfootnote7anc"><sup>7</sup></a></i></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
However, this approach would likely not be effective
with the atheistic naturalist, for </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">example, since it tends to minimize propositional truths and often
ignores both reasoned arguments </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">and
historical evidence. Koukl warns against this pitfall:</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #201c14;"><i>It
is one thing to prefer the E/N approach; it is another thing to</i></span><span style="color: #201c14;"><i>
completely avoid interacting with the historical and logical
arguments for and against Christianity.<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote8sym" name="sdfootnote8anc"><sup>8</sup></a></i></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Synthesis: Dynamic
Apologetics</span></b></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
It should be very clear then that our apologetic
methodology must embrace the total </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">spectrum of approaches if it is to respond effectively to the various
personalities, backgrounds, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">assumptions, presuppositions and unique challenges that each skeptic
brings to the discussion. The </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">most
common objections to the truth claims of Christianity tend to be
fairly consistent across the </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">board.
Frequently encountered are objections such as:</span></p>
<ol>
<li><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Universalism-The
proposition that all religions are equally true and just different
paths to the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">same
God.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"></p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Scientism/Atheism-
Evolution proves Christianity wrong and science can provide a </span>surer<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">path
and meaning for humanity without the need for religion.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"></p>
</li><li><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bad
Experience- Either the skeptic points to historical events such as
the Inquisition and </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Crusades to dismiss Christian truth claims, or they have personally
had a bad experience with </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Christians which “proved” Christianity is somehow defective or
wrong.</span></p></li></ol>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">
Each of these will bring a variety of challenges that
will demand a wide range of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">responses, which any one given approach simply could not adequately
respond to. For example, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">responding to the Bad Experience with arguments from the Experiential
method will very likely prove </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">fruitless. Likewise, attempting to respond to the objections of the
Atheist Naturalist with arguments </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">from
experience will be met with scorn. The same would be true of the
arguments of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">Presuppositionalists. Such skeptics would better be served by
arguments leaning more heavily into </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">science and philosophy. An example of this would be the following
from Dr. Graham Floyd. His </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">response to the claims of evolution </span>includes<span style="font-family: inherit;"> the following:</span></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Since
evolution is supposed to occur via natural processes and forces, the
question arises as to how these natural processes and forces interact
with transcendent, abstract universals causing these universals to
become exemplified in the world. For example, the properties being
hairy, having lungs, and being four-footed were not exemplified in
the natural world at some point in the distant past according to the
theory of evolution and neither were essences, such as being a cat,
being a bird, and being a fish. How did the natural world or the
forces within it cause these universals to become exemplified given
that universals are beyond the realm of nature and cannot be affected
by nature? It does not seem possible especially since the natural
world and its objects would themselves be exemplifications of various
universals. The natural world cannot cause itself to become
exemplified so that it may cause other exemplifications of
universals. How can the theory be rational if nature has no ability
to connect with the transcendent?<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote9sym" name="sdfootnote9anc"><sup>9</sup></a></span></i></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
This is a strong and reasoned response to claims for
evolutionary theory and is only found </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">in the
Classical Method, which tends to rely on observation of the natural
world, philosophy and </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">science. The point here is not to denigrate any one particular
method, as all hold value. What is being </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">stressed here is that we take stock of the weaknesses of each
approach in encountering certain </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">personalities, claims, etc. and adjust our methodology appropriately.
The Holistic Apologetic Method </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">enables us to employ an array of arguments, tactics and answers which
serve to advance the </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">conversation such that the gospel is presented intelligently and with
a sensitivity to the skeptics need </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">and
not necessarily cater to our own personal comfort zones. Learning to
do this is a fairly easy task </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">for
most, but only on the level of raw data.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Apologetics of
Listening</span></b></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
It is one thing to memorize a set of arguments to
respond to skeptics and an entirely </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">different task when we recognize that the holistic apologist of
necessity must be someone who can </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">“read”
a personality quickly and recognize when an objection is intellectual
or emotional. The key to </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">this is
found in Sacred Scripture. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, let
every man be swift to hear, slow </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">to
speak, slow to wrath;”</span><a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote10sym" name="sdfootnote10anc" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><sup>10</sup></a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">
The apologist must learn to listen. The knowledge we can in our study
of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">apologetics
and Christian philosophy is not an end of itself, nor does it make us
effective messengers of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. We should have the goal of serving the lost,
not winning arguments. Dr. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">John
Daniel McDonald writes that if we are to be Christ shaped
philosophers, then our volitional union </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">with
God in Christ is:</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">manifested
in obedience; their work under the submission to </span>Christ’s
authority and guidance of the Holy Spirit; and their disposition
toward God and others in the context of their work. A key theme,
therefore, is that of obedience.<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote11sym" name="sdfootnote11anc"><sup>11</sup></a></span></i></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
Christ listened to those who challenged Him or who came to Him
in need and always </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">responded wisely and with the appropriate temperament. In obedience
to His example and the many </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">admonitions of Sacred Scripture, we should be listeners before we are
speakers. As Dr. Paul Fritz </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">wrote:</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jesus did not listen
to people just to find something to criticize. The Lord listened to
people with His eyes, ears, and His whole mind. Christ took time to
show people how important they were to Him by giving them his
undivided attention. The Lord listened to people's emotions, ideas,
and implications.<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote12sym" name="sdfootnote12anc"><sup>12</sup></a></span></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: normal;">
Listen to the challenges without creating a false premise
the skeptic never implied, which is </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: normal;">an
unfortunate and frequent occurrence in social media encounters
between Christians and skeptics. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: normal;">Pay
close attention to the words and phrases used and the various
contexts in which they use them, as </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: normal;">they
often clue the apologist in to the way the individual skeptic defines
that word or phrase. Listen for </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: normal;">the
emotion or lack thereof in the skeptic's voice. One study on
nonverbal communication found that </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: normal;">an
estimated 60 to 65 percent of all personal communication between
people is done through </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: normal;">nonverbal behaviors.</span><a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote13sym" name="sdfootnote13anc" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: normal;"><sup>13</sup></a><span style="font-size: 13.3333px; font-style: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">These </span>often-subtle<span style="font-family: inherit;"> clues can assist the apologist in
recognizing whether a particular objection </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: normal;">is
rooted in an intellectual misunderstanding or a potential emotional
hurt that is present, though </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: normal;">unspoken. Listen for the confidence or lack thereof with which they
assert their objection, as this can </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">be
an indicator of either the fallacy of appealing to authority or of
simply repeating something the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">skeptic heard from friend, social media, or in a classroom setting
but does not truly comprehend. It is </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">also
important to listen with our eyes. Pay attention to body language and
expressions, as these too can </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">be
indicators of what apologetic method would be best to use in dialogue
with the individual skeptic.</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Conclusion</span></b></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
Apologetics demands flexibility, a broad scope
of knowledge, submission to the will of </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and that we be willing
to listen much more than we speak. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">The Holistic Apologetics Method is only effective insofar as the
apologist is willing to conform to </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">these demands. As Dr. McDonald wrote:</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">As
we go about our work as Christ-shaped philosophers, may we embody
right listening in our relationship with God in Jesus Christ and our
engagement with others, regardless of whether they are fellow
believers or not. </span>May our philosophical interactions,
disagreements, and debates be informed by the virtue of listening
such that our speech aids—not hinders—the proclamation of truth
for the glory of God.<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote14sym" name="sdfootnote14anc"><sup>14</sup></a></span></i></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
We should engage skeptics with strategy and discernment
such that we can respond </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">according to their needs, whether expressed verbally or non-verbally,
and by so doing, strengthen our </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">arguments for the truths of the gospel. As Peter Kreeft has said:</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Arguments
may not bring you to faith, but they can certainly keep you away from
faith. Therefore, we must join the battle of arguments.<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote15sym" name="sdfootnote15anc"><sup>15</sup></a></span></i></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let's engage it strategically.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1. </span><i style="font-size: small; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;">Journal of Experimental Social Psychology</i><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;">, Vol.
49, 2013</span></p><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;">2. </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Andreas J.
Kostenberger, </span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The
Cradle, the Cross and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament</i></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;">
(</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Nashville: B&H
Academic, Second Edition), 2016. Preface.</span></span></p><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">3. </span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Gregory Koukl,</span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>
Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions</i></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;">
</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Gr</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;">and
Rapids: </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Zondervan, 2009),</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;">
</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">22.</span></span></p><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">4. </span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Francis Schaeffer, </span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The
God Who is There</i></span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">,
(Switzerland: L'Abri Fellowship 1968) 196.</span></span></p><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">5. </span></span><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">Ibid., 181.</span></p><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">6. </span><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">Ibid., 193.</span></p><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">7. </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ibid., 197.</span></span></p><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">8. </span></span><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;">Ibid., 199.</span></p><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;">9. </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dr. Graham Floyd, </span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>On
the Metaphysics and Coherence of Evolution</i></span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">, </span></span><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">(Evangelical Philosophical
Society 2022), 5.</span></p><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">10. </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Epistle of James
1:19.</span></span></p><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.2in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">11. </span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">John Daniel McDonald, PhD, </span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Be
Quick to Hear and Slow to Speak: Exploring the Act of Listening as a
Christ-shaped Philosophical Virtue</i></span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">,
(Evangelical Philosophical Society, 2021) 4, 5.</span></span></p><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">12. </span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dr. Paul Fritz, </span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>How
Jesus Ministered To People By Listening</i></span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">, </span></span><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.5in;">(sermoncentral.com October
18, 2000).</span></p><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.5in;">13. </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Gretchen N. Foley, Julie P.
Gentile, </span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Nonverbal
Communication in Psychotherapy</i></span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">, </span></span><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.5in;">(Psychiatry MMC Journal, June
2010), 38-44.</span></p><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.5in;">14. </span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ibi</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">d.,</span><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
19, 20.</span></span></p><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">15. </span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Peter Kreeft, Ronald
Tacelli, </span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Handbook
of Christian Apologetics</i></span></span><span style="color: black; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">, </span></span><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.5in;">(Los Angeles: Monarch 1994)
21.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></p>
<p align="CENTER" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;"><b>Bibliography</b></span></p><p style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></p><p style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;">Kreeft,
Peter</span> and Ronald <span style="color: black;">Tacelli</span>,
<i>Handbook of Christian Apologetics</i><span style="color: black;">, (Los
Angeles: Monarch) 1994</span>.</span></p><p style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;">Gretchen N. Foley, Julie P. Gentile, </span><span style="color: black;"><i>Nonverbal
Communication in Psychotherapy</i></span><span style="color: black;">,
Psychiatry</span><span style="color: black;"><i> </i></span><span style="color: black;">MMC
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;">McDonald, John Daniel, PhD,</span><span style="color: black;"><i>
Be Quick to Hear and Slow to Speak: Exploring the Act of Listening as
a </i></span><i> </i><span style="color: black;"><i>Christ-shaped
Philosophical Virtue</i></span><span style="color: black;">, Evangelical
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></p><p style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.2in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.2in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;">Floyd, Graham Dr.,</span><span style="color: black;"><i>
On the Metaphysics and Coherence of Evolution</i></span><span style="color: black;">,
Evangelical Philosophical Society 2022</span>.</span></p><p style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.2in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.2in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></p><p style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.2in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.2in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;">Schaeffer, Francis, </span><span style="color: black;"><i>The
God Who is There,</i></span><span style="color: black;"> (Switzerland:
L'Abri Fellowship) 1968.</span></span></p><p style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.2in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.2in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></p><p style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.2in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.2in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;">Koukl, Gregory, </span><span style="color: black;"><i>Tactics:
A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions</i></span><span style="color: black;">,
(Grand Rapids: Zondervan), 2009.</span></span></p><p style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.2in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.2in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></p><p style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.2in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.2in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;">Kostenberger, Andreas J., </span><span style="color: black;"><i>The
Cradle, the Cross and the Crown: An Introduction to the New
Testament</i></span><span style="color: black;">, (</span>Nashville: <span style="color: black;">B&H
Academic, Second Edition), 2016</span>.</span></p><p style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.2in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.2in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></p><p style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.2in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.2in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;"><i>Journal of Experimental Social Psychology</i></span><span style="color: black;">,
Vol. 49, 2013.</span></span></p><p style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.2in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.2in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></p><p style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.2in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.2in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;">McDonald, John Daniel, PhD, </span><span style="color: black;"><i>Be
Quick to Hear and Slow to Speak: Exploring the Act of Listening as a
Christ-shaped Philosophical Virtue</i></span><span style="color: black;">,
Evangelical Philosophical Society, 2021</span>.</span></p><p style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.2in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.2in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
</p><p style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.2in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.2in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
Fritz, Dr. Paul<span style="color: black;">, </span><span style="color: black;"><i>How
Jesus Ministered To People By Listening</i></span><span style="color: black;">,
sermoncentral.com, October 18, 2000.</span></span></p><div id="sdfootnote15">
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-27565838885526412842023-10-16T15:42:00.006-07:002023-10-16T15:56:13.949-07:00Can Christians Celebrate Halloween?<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLBGQUlpA-hR7km6HT7YGfTA2IGE5c5z3cdjzJXuIPykHaF5vKmGDfz4PHSzDF4nb8HsrX8aBjFiIFhsGG-8EuPIMyYZasA4BDxhSiKN5udFnDsDYFsN56huiw3owKK4fC29JquJAxcnTrZLRpJpo0jg87P6O8H2FrMA1pdV7f3pRCPU0sSc2DRCD0uTh/s1366/happy-halloween-hd-hd-1366x768.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLBGQUlpA-hR7km6HT7YGfTA2IGE5c5z3cdjzJXuIPykHaF5vKmGDfz4PHSzDF4nb8HsrX8aBjFiIFhsGG-8EuPIMyYZasA4BDxhSiKN5udFnDsDYFsN56huiw3owKK4fC29JquJAxcnTrZLRpJpo0jg87P6O8H2FrMA1pdV7f3pRCPU0sSc2DRCD0uTh/w400-h225/happy-halloween-hd-hd-1366x768.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is the time of year when many Christian websites post articles and videos proclaiming Halloween a satanic or pagan holiday, filled with all sorts of the occult, demon-inspired dangers for the unwary trick-or-treater. Does the Bible actually have anything to say about Halloween?</span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The History of Halloween</b></span></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Bible is actually completely silent on the holiday since it did not exist during the time the authors of the books of the Bible lived. Anyone attempting to connect the holiday to some practice or observance mentioned in the Old and New Testaments does so only by ignoring or doing an injustice to the facts of history.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some of the more colorful and inventive websites will tell you that Halloween is a satanic holiday, celebrated by Satanists the world over. The fact of the matter is, Halloween is actually connected to a Christian holiday known as All Hallows’ Eve.</span></p><div class="swn-mop-premium-promo my-5" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1.25rem; margin-top: 1.25rem;"></div><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">All Hallows’ Eve was a feast day throughout Roman Catholic Europe during which Christians remembered and honored their departed family members and saints who otherwise had no specific day of remembrance. It was also known as “All Saints’ Day.”</span></p><div class="text-center w-[300px] min-h-[250px] mb-4 mx-auto" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 300px;"><div class="flex flex-wrap justify-center content-center a-none a-t-250" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; min-height: 0px; place-content: center;"><div class="tablet_300x250_dynamic" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;"></div></div><div class="flex flex-wrap justify-center content-center a-none a-m-250" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; min-height: 0px; place-content: center;"><div class="mobile_300x250_dynamic" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;"></div></div></div><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">People would gather for a large meal prepared throughout the day, musicians would play, games were held, and the day would end with Mass at the local church. There was no connection to pagan practices, no satanic rituals, and no witches conjuring familiar spirits.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Halloween can be traced back to Pope Gregory III (AD 731-741) — and claims that it was established to coincide with Samhain are exaggerated, since Samhain, a more pagan-oriented holiday, was not observed on October 31, but on November 1. </span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rev. Alan Rudnick writes:</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: justify;"><em style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Understand that All Hallows’ Eve (Halloween) and the ancient pagan festival of Samhain are not the same. Halloween is often associated with the pagan concept of Samhain, the festival where ancient </span>pagans<span style="font-family: inherit;"> believed that the worlds of the living and dead would have been thinly divided. </span>But<span style="font-family: inherit;"> we have seen from the other ancient pagan festivals associated with Christmas and Easter that these pagan connections do not serve as a reason why we cannot celebrate a Christian holiday. </span></em><em style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite claims by modern Wiccans and Druids, no one really knows what happened during Samhain. There is not one shred of evidence of what actually took place. No authentic historical accounts. History has proven that the Christianizing of the calendar has created a rich heritage of faith and spirituality rather than something more evil.” </span></em></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The tradition of dressing up in costumes also has a Christian origin. In the Middle Ages, it became a popular practice to dress up as your favorite saint. Even the carving of a pumpkin has a very simple explanation.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">People would carve out a turnip and place a candle in it, representing the light of the souls in heaven. Admittedly, none of these practices is found in Scripture, but neither are they expressly forbidden.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is very important that we not promote disinformation as though it were the truth, since the more discerning person will undoubtedly research the issue for themselves and discover that the claims of satanic rituals, necromancy, and other assorted acts of evil are by and large false.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Is Halloween Satanic?</b></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is not to say that Satanists and other occultists do not take the opportunity the holiday brings to engage in their various rituals and practices, as it suits their aesthetic.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The infamous founder of the Satanic Church, Anton LaVey, in setting up his novel religion chose Halloween not because the holiday had anything whatsoever to do with satanism, but because it marked the end of autumn, and also provided his church with the spooky backdrop he liked to invoke in order to gain attention.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Keep in mind that he was a former showman after all. And this did not occur until the late 1960s, so it hardly stretches back into biblical history. </span></p><div class="text-center w-[300px] min-h-[250px] mb-4 mx-auto" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 300px;"><div class="flex flex-wrap justify-center content-center a-none a-t-250" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; min-height: 0px; place-content: center;"><div class="tablet_300x250_dynamic" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;"></div></div><div class="flex flex-wrap justify-center content-center a-none a-m-250" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; min-height: 0px; place-content: center;"><div class="mobile_300x250_dynamic" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;"></div></div></div><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, one can take a look at the modern practice with its sometimes-frightening masks and gruesome imagery and decide that as a Christian you cannot participate in such revelry. That is a matter of personal conscience. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">However, it is my opinion that there is still nothing wrong with dressing up as some silly monster from a movie and going door-to-door getting a bag filled with candy. If you are a Christian family and you would like to allow your children to take part in trick-or-treats, you can always choose a costume that is more in line with what your conscience allows. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Such costumes as princesses, characters from the Lord of the Rings or the Narnia Chronicles, or even taking a page from our ancestors and dressing up as a saint are all very viable options you can choose from.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And if you are concerned for the safety of your children, why not host an All-Hollows’ Eve party in your home, and invite all their friends over for games, cake, ice cream, and of course, candy!</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The point here is not to allow yourself to be overtaken by the irrational claims put out by well-meaning but erring fellow Christians, while at the same time not violating your conscience. Halloween can be an opportunity to teach your children about the importance of salvation since we all will leave this world and need Christ.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you are an Anglican Christian, it is also a time when you can pray for the souls of your departed family members as a family. You can also teach your children about the lives of whatever saints you choose whether they be biblical figures or saints of church history.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Can Christians Celebrate Halloween?</b></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: #3b82f680; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes! Be creative and allow God to use the day as a way to bring you closer to Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. And have fun! Christians are supposed to be joyous, so allow yourself to express joy with your family. And if you would, save some spiced apple cider for me.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-85717404217360344752023-10-07T09:14:00.006-07:002023-10-07T09:17:36.308-07:00Peter Kreeft: A Brief Look at His Life and Work<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="text-align: left;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCm4jlw0MH4oLDtP4ZgdIs-EWPfp1Eh3K_8l913GDXcnWjWSIsgT7tse_SrFzpVYrAg-Jgeh98CseXzJWIfRRibSVTHKBgdf32YniXrIMOkEGMVZbD2PiBhxusSLxSTQ2fmj2-IpiWjv0BuWDencNaZuNWiuaCXH4U5tGJV7LmunROsQ7LF7RYtSIqVPpP/s1200/image.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="1200" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCm4jlw0MH4oLDtP4ZgdIs-EWPfp1Eh3K_8l913GDXcnWjWSIsgT7tse_SrFzpVYrAg-Jgeh98CseXzJWIfRRibSVTHKBgdf32YniXrIMOkEGMVZbD2PiBhxusSLxSTQ2fmj2-IpiWjv0BuWDencNaZuNWiuaCXH4U5tGJV7LmunROsQ7LF7RYtSIqVPpP/s320/image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>PETER
KREEFT: A BRIEF LOOK AT HIS LIFE AND WORK<p></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Peter Kreeft (1937-Present) studied for his AB at
Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1959 and his Master of
Arts degree at Fordham University in New York City in 1961. He
subsequently completed his PhD studies at Fordham University and
taught philosophy at Boston College and The King's College. He
converted to Roman Catholicism during this time and continues to
teach at Boston College.</span><a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote1sym" name="sdfootnote1anc" style="text-align: left;"><sup>1</sup></a><span style="text-align: left;">
Of his conversion, Kreeft has stated that he was encouraged by a
Calvinist professor to look critically into the claims of the Roman
Catholic Church to be synonymous with the early Christian church.
Kreeft believes that the Catholic dogmas of transubstantiation,
Mariology, and other dogmas are witnessed to in the writings of the
Church Fathers. He writes:</span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="font-weight: normal;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">My
adventurous half rejoiced when I discovered in the early Church such
Catholic elements as the centrality of the Eucharist, the Real
Presence, prayers to saints, devotion to Mary, an insistence on
visible unity, and apostolic succession. Furthermore, the Church
Fathers just “smelled” more Catholic than Protestant, especially
St. Augustine, my personal favorite and a hero to most Protestants
too. It seemed very obvious that if Augustine or Jerome or Ignatius
of Antioch or Anthony of the Desert, or Justin Martyr, or Clement of
Alexandria, or Athanasius were alive today, they would be Catholics,
not Protestants</span>.<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote2sym" name="sdfootnote2anc" style="font-size: medium;"><sup>2</sup></a></i></span></span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="text-align: left;">Despite Kreeft's mistaken comprehension of
the Church Fathers, his work in the field of apologetics cannot be
understated. He is the author of forty-five books covering topics
such as the works of Thomas Aquinas and C.S. Lewis to works refuting
Moral Relativism, abortion, Marxism, modern Skepticism and more.
Though well into his eighties, he remains one of the most influential
Christian philosophers and apologists of our era.</span></p>
<p><b>The Argument from Experience</b></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> On his personal website, in the section titled <i>Twenty
Arguments for God's Existence, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">Kreeft
offers an argument rarely utilized successfully by most lay
apologists, which is likely due to not having a strong enough
foundation in the specifics of the argument itself. Kreeft notes that
the argument is indeed difficult to state in a deductive manner but
offers the following syllogism as one possible way of doing so.</span></p>
<ol>
<li><p style="font-style: normal;">Many people of different eras and
widely different cultures claim to have had an experience of the
“divine”.</p>
</li><li><p>It is inconceivable that so many people could be so utterly
wrong about the nature and content of their own experience.</p>
</li><li><p>Therefore, there exists a “divine” reality which many
people of different eras and of widely different cultures have
experienced.<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote3sym" name="sdfootnote3anc"><sup>3</sup></a></p>
</li></ol>
<p>
</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> At the core of Kreeft's argument is the belief that an
argument for the existence of God can in fact be developed from the
subjective experiences of those who claim to have encountered the
divine. This argument is not designed to be persuasive to those who
have had such experiences, since the experience itself confirms this
fact for them. Rather, the argument is designed to respond to the
skeptic that the widespread fact that there are a multitude of claims
of religious experience, whether they be Near-Death Experiences,
encounters with angels, or even encounters with diabolic forces,
argues that only a divine and spiritual reality can account for them.
Culture, education, economic status, etc. simply cannot account for
these experiences, many of which are counter-cultural in content and
character. A good example are the many Muslims who have visions of
the resurrected Christ and convert to Christianity, placing
themselves in great physical danger and/or facing being ostracized by
their families.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Kreeft honestly notes that the experience itself does
not prove God's existence, but the fact that the object of the
experiences regardless of culture tends to be God is compelling
enough that we must ask whether these experiences can be believed. By
way of criteria for determining whether they can be believed, Kreeft
offers the following. We should carefully consider:</span></p>
<ol>
<li><p>the consistency of the claims (are they self-consistent as
well as consistent with what we know otherwise to be true?);</p>
</li><li><p>the character of those who make these claims (do these
persons seem honest, decent, trustworthy?); and</p>
</li><li><p>the effects these experiences have had in their own lives and
the lives of others (have the persons become more loving as a result
of what they experienced? More genuinely edifying? Or,
alternatively, have they become vain and self-absorbed?)<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote4sym" name="sdfootnote4anc"><sup>4</sup></a></p></li></ol>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> These are excellent criteria for discerning any claim
to religious experience. Unfortunately, some, such as those in the
Charismatic movement and Word of Faith movement, all to easily
believe claims without examining them against reason and Sacred
Scripture both. Kreeft's argument does not require we set aside our
critical faculties, but engage them in careful consideration of the
facts, and when the criteria is met, we can conclude that something
of a divine nature has indeed occurred and is indicative of the
existence of God due to the universal nature of said experiences.</p><p><b>Kreeft and Christian Life</b></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.04in; text-align: justify;"> <b> </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Beyond
his works on Christian philosophy and apologetics Kreeft writes
prolifically on living the Christian life. The majority of his works
are ecumenical in nature and are encouraging of the totality of
Christian life. For example, he writes on the important of holiness
(a topic important to Wesleyan's), stating:</span></p>
<p><i><span style="color: #16171b;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">God
makes us holy in two opposite ways, in the two parts of our lives.
First, He makes us holy through our own will, our own free choice of
faith and hope and love. (For divine grace does not turn off human
free will; it turns it on.) And second, He also sanctifies us against
our will, through suffering, because the other way of sanctifying us,
through our own will’s choices, is not strong enough, because our
faith and hope and love are not strong enough.</span>5</span></span></i></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #16171b;">
His advice on the Christian life is intimately connected to
his work in apologetics, as is evidenced by his conclusion regarding
whether religion is necessary to be truly moral. He states that we
need to understand the distinction between an objective fact and the
knowledge of it. He writes:</span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #16171b;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">There
cannot really be moral absolutes without God; there cannot be an
absolute moral law without an absolute moral lawgiver. But we can
know the effect without knowing the cause: we can know the moral law
without knowing the moral lawgiver, just as we can know God's natural
effects by science without knowing God as the Creator-cause of these
effects. There can't be the effect without the cause, but you can
know the effect without knowing the cause</span></i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">.</span><a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote6sym" name="sdfootnote6anc" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><sup>6</sup></a></span></span></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="color: #16171b; font-size: medium;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span> In other
words, yes, it is possible for the Atheist to live a morally upright
life without knowing the God who imprinted those moral laws on his
conscience. Thus, the so-called “morality without religion”
challenge to Christianity is really a non-issue.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #16171b; font-size: medium;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span> Kreeft will
likely remain a significant influence on apologetics long after he
goes home to be with his Savior, as his works span the totality of
issues important to the defense of the Christian worldview and basic
Theism.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="CENTER" style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #16171b;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>PRAYER</b></span></span></span></p>
<p align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #16171b;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Lord
God, you have given us the faculty of reason whereby we can arrive at
a deeper knowledge of your truth; help us to always submit our
intellect to the guidance of your Holy Spirit so that we may honor
you with all the gifts you have bestowed upon us. When difficult
issues arise, give us knowledge; when the hurting demand answers,
give us wisdom; and in our understanding of your revelation give us
the grace to live the truths you have revealed, to the glory and
honor of you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.</span></span></span></p><p align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #16171b;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #16171b;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></p>
<div id="sdfootnote1">
<ol>
<p class="sdfootnote"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a class="sdfootnotesym" href="#sdfootnote1anc" name="sdfootnote1sym">1</a>
<a href="https://www.exodusbooks.com/peter-kreeft/1319/">Peter
Kreeft - Exodus Books</a>
</span></p>
</ol>
</div>
<div id="sdfootnote2">
<ol start="0">
<p class="sdfootnote"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a class="sdfootnotesym" href="#sdfootnote2anc" name="sdfootnote2sym">2</a>
Peter Kreeft, <i>Hauled Aboard the Ark,</i> (<span style="font-style: normal;">The
Coming Home Network</span><i> </i>2011)</span></p>
</ol>
</div>
<div id="sdfootnote3">
<ol start="0">
<p class="sdfootnote"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a class="sdfootnotesym" href="#sdfootnote3anc" name="sdfootnote3sym">3</a>
Peter Kreeft, <i>Twenty Arguments for God's Existence</i>,
www.peterkreeft.com</span></p>
</ol>
</div>
<div id="sdfootnote4">
<p class="sdfootnote"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a class="sdfootnotesym" href="#sdfootnote4anc" name="sdfootnote4sym">4</a>Ibid.</span></p>
</div>
<div id="sdfootnote5">
<ol>
<p class="sdfootnote"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a class="sdfootnotesym" href="#sdfootnote5anc" name="sdfootnote5sym">5</a>
Peter Kreeft, <i>How To Be Holy,</i> (Ignatius Press 2016) 30</span></p>
</ol>
</div>
<div id="sdfootnote6">
<ol start="0">
<p class="sdfootnote"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a class="sdfootnotesym" href="#sdfootnote6anc" name="sdfootnote6sym">6</a>
Peter Kreeft, <i>Making Choices: Practical Wisdom for Everyday
Moral Decisions</i>,
</span></p>
<p class="sdfootnote"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(BookBaby 2023) 52</span></p>
</ol>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-8285987856341701872023-09-09T09:10:00.001-07:002023-09-10T07:21:54.334-07:00Anselm of Canterbury<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp426n8u7vtetvk-F5Dr1D9whozuEs6s8Nw-YF2I6_IkGsdjba-ZCXWE6xaclaekaP8Yt5VnrrkqL23JchvGtLpjvH_myyoMym5kmxUqCjEWPB2zpLN9bdiSDQAoQFNk7lOF-cMan7yL2yUmZwsgwyzP3swk7dvEqgQiMkpi0911zHSXnie2OUH5WvtrOY/s474/OIP.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="474" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp426n8u7vtetvk-F5Dr1D9whozuEs6s8Nw-YF2I6_IkGsdjba-ZCXWE6xaclaekaP8Yt5VnrrkqL23JchvGtLpjvH_myyoMym5kmxUqCjEWPB2zpLN9bdiSDQAoQFNk7lOF-cMan7yL2yUmZwsgwyzP3swk7dvEqgQiMkpi0911zHSXnie2OUH5WvtrOY/s320/OIP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Brief Life Sketch</span></div></b><p></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Anselm
was born somewhere between April 1033 and April 1034, in Upper
Bergundy somewhere near the town of Aosta. Thus, he is sometimes
referred to as Anselm of Aosta. His father Gundulf was a Lombard
nobleman and his mother, Ermenberga, was likely the </span>granddaughter<span style="font-family: inherit;"> of
Conrad the Peaceful.</span><a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote1sym" name="sdfootnote1anc" style="font-family: inherit;"><sup>1</sup></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">
It is claimed that Gundulf was far too generous with his wealth,
which causes some problems for his family.</span><a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote2sym" name="sdfootnote2anc" style="font-family: inherit;"><sup>2</sup></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">
Anselm was a devout young man, likely owing to his mother's
influence, who was a devoted Christian. As a result of his pious
upbringing, he sought to enter a monastery at the age of fifteen but
was rejected when his father refused to grant his permission.</span><a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote3sym" name="sdfootnote3anc" style="font-family: inherit;"><sup>3</sup></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">
Anselm became despondent and fell ill soon after, but recovered
quickly and pursued the studies expected of him. Following the death
of his mother due to complications of childbirth, his father became
severely strict regarding religion. So much so that he joined a
cloistered community, leaving behind Anselm and his family. Anselm, now twenty-three years old, journeyed for the next
three years throughout Bergundy and France, eventually visiting
Normandy in 1059.</span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.39in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Following
his father's death, he approached the Archbishop of Rouen for
guidance on his spiritual life, as Anselm still felt a call to the
monastic life. At the age of twenty-seven, Anselm entered a
Benedictine monastery as a novice. It is here, at the monastery of
Bec, that Anselm developed his passion for literature.<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote4sym" name="sdfootnote4anc"><sup>4</sup></a>
Within a year he had written the first of his works, <i>De
Grammatico, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">examining paradoxes
connected to Latin language through the study of syllogisms.
Undoubtedly, this contributed to the development of his apologetics
as his monastic career continued. He would subsequently write
prolifically on various philosophical and theological topics,
producing such works as </span><i>Cur Deus Homo </i><span style="font-style: normal;">(Why
God Became Man), </span><i>De Libertate Arbitrii </i><span style="font-style: normal;">(On
Free Will), </span><i>De Casu Diaboli </i>(The
Fall of Satan), and many more. In 1078 Anselm was elected to be abbot
of the monastery and consecrated such on February 22, 1079. The next
years in Anselm's life were turbulent. The various political forces
around Anselm imposed themselves on him, but by 1093 he had been
consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury. He was exiled twice, opposing
royal claims to primacy over the papacy in the kingdom.<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote5sym" name="sdfootnote5anc" style="font-style: normal;"><sup>5</sup></a>
By 1107 the controversy had abated, and Anselm dedicated the last
years of his life to his ministry as archbishop. He died on Holy
Wednesday, April 21, 1109.<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote6sym" name="sdfootnote6anc" style="font-style: normal;"><sup>6</sup></a></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 200%;"><b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Anselm's
Ontological Argument</span></span></b></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-left: 0.39in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">God is, we believe, that
which no greater can be thought. Even the fool understands those
words when he hears them, and so it must be conceded that that
'something than which nothing greater can be thought' exists at least
in his mind. But it is not the same to exist in the mind and actually
to exist. A painter planning a picture has it in his mind, but it
does not exist until he has painted it. That which exists in reality
as well as in thought is obviously greater than that which exists
only in the mind. If God existed only in the mind, it would be
possible to conceive of a greater than he, who existed in reality as
well, and then that which we have defined as 'That than which nothing
greater can be thought' would not be 'That than which nothing greater
can be thought'...Anselm draws the conclusion that 'That than which
nothing greater can be thought' must therefore exist in reality.<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote7sym" name="sdfootnote7anc"><sup>7</sup></a></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.39in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Anselm
set forth his ontological argument in his <i>Proslogion II,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
and it, along with several variations of it, has become an important
philosophical tool for apologists. Critics of the argument will
suggest that it is possible to conceive of something that is purely
imagination and does not exist outside the mind. However, what this
objection fails to take into account is that the argument is specific
to an infinitely perfect being and to apply it to anything finite is
to misunderstand the argument altogether. Applying this, for example,
to the conception of an Orc from the Lord of the Rings would be an
error, since the nature of the Orc is finite and, logically speaking,
it cannot exist in reality. That is, it cannot exist outside the
mind. Likewise, one may be capable of conceiving of any of the myriad
of pagan gods believed to have existed on Mt. Olympus in antiquity,
with their classical Greek dress, human frailties, etc., yet they
cannot exist outside the mind as they cannot exist in reality, which
reason shows. In their nature they are finite and thus are not the
infinitely perfect being greater than which nothing can be conceived.
When we speak of God in scriptural terms, we are speaking of the
maximal being, the infinite one Who has no equal or superior. This is
the basis for the ontological argument. If we state Anselm's argument
as a syllogism<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote8sym" name="sdfootnote8anc"><sup>8</sup></a>
it would look as follows:</span></span></p>
<ol>
<li><p align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">God
means “That which nothing greater can be conceived”.</span></span></p>
</li><li><p align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
idea of God is not contradictory.</span></span></p>
</li><li><p align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That
which can be thought of as not existing (a contingent being) is not
as great as 'That which nothing greater can be thought' (the
necessary being).</span></span></p>
</li><li><p align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Therefore,
to think of God as possibly not existing (contingent) is not to
think of 'That which nothing greater can be thought'. It is a
contradiction to think of that maximal being as non-existent.</span></span></p>
</li><li><p align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Therefore,
God exists.</span></span></p>
</li></ol>
<p align="CENTER" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.39in;"><b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Prayer
of Saint Anselm</span></span></b></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.39in;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">O
Lord my God, teach my heart this day, where and how to find you. You
have made me and re-made me, and you have bestowed on me all the good
things I possess, and </span>still,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> I do not know you. I have not yet done
that for which I was made. Teach me to seek you, for I cannot seek
you unless you teach me, or find you unless you show yourself to me.
Let me seek you in my desire; let me desire you in my seeking. Let
me find you by loving you; let me love you when I find you. Amen.</span><a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="#sdfootnote9sym" name="sdfootnote9anc" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: normal;"><sup>9</sup></a></span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.39in;"><br /></p><p align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.39in;"><br /></p>
<div id="sdfootnote1"><p class="sdfootnote"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a class="sdfootnotesym" href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/262326253864688012/828598785634170187#sdfootnote1anc" name="sdfootnote1sym">1</a>Conrad the First (925 AD-October 19, 993) King of Bergundy from 937 until his death, called “the Peaceful”.</span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div id="sdfootnote2" style="text-align: left;"><p class="sdfootnote"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a class="sdfootnotesym" href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/262326253864688012/828598785634170187#sdfootnote2anc" name="sdfootnote2sym">2</a>Rule, Martin, <i>The Life and Times of Saint Anselm, </i>Vol.1 (1883) pp. 7-8,London: Kegan, Paul, Trench & Co.</span></p></div><div id="sdfootnote3" style="text-align: left;"><p class="sdfootnote"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a class="sdfootnotesym" href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/262326253864688012/828598785634170187#sdfootnote3anc" name="sdfootnote3sym">3</a>Church, R.W., <i>Saint Anselm, </i>(1870) p. 14, London: MacMillan</span></p></div><div id="sdfootnote4" style="text-align: left;"><p class="sdfootnote"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a class="sdfootnotesym" href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/262326253864688012/828598785634170187#sdfootnote4anc" name="sdfootnote4sym">4</a>Ibid, p. 47</span></p></div><div id="sdfootnote5" style="text-align: left;"><p class="sdfootnote"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a class="sdfootnotesym" href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/262326253864688012/828598785634170187#sdfootnote5anc" name="sdfootnote5sym">5</a>Evans, G.R. <i>Anselm, </i>(2002) p. 21, London: Continuum</span></p></div><div id="sdfootnote6" style="text-align: left;"><p class="sdfootnote"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a class="sdfootnotesym" href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/262326253864688012/828598785634170187#sdfootnote6anc" name="sdfootnote6sym">6</a>British Library online, entry on Anselm</span></p></div><div id="sdfootnote7" style="text-align: left;"><p class="sdfootnote"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a class="sdfootnotesym" href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/262326253864688012/828598785634170187#sdfootnote7anc" name="sdfootnote7sym">7</a>Ibid. p.51</span></p></div><div id="sdfootnote8" style="text-align: left;"><p class="sdfootnote"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a class="sdfootnotesym" href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/262326253864688012/828598785634170187#sdfootnote8anc" name="sdfootnote8sym">8</a>Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy online</span></p></div><div id="sdfootnote9" style="text-align: left;"><p class="sdfootnote"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a class="sdfootnotesym" href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/262326253864688012/828598785634170187#sdfootnote9anc" name="sdfootnote9sym">9</a>The Complete Works of Anselm </i>(2019) Patristic Publishing</span></p></div></div><p align="RIGHT" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.39in;"><br /></p><p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><br /></b></p><p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Bibliography</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<ul>
<li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>The Complete Works of Saint
Anselm of Canterbury</i>, 2019 Patristic Publishing</p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">G.R. Evans, <i>Anselm</i> ,2022
London Continuum</p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Richard William Church, <i>Saint
Anselm, </i>1870, London; MacMillan</p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Stanford Encyclopedia of
Philosophy online, entry on Anselm of Canterbury</p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">British Library online, entry on
Anselm of Canterbury</p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Martin Rule, <i>The Life and Times
of Saint Anselm </i><span style="font-style: normal;">Vol. 1 (1883)
London: Keagan, Paul, Trench & Co.</span></p>
</li></ul>
<div id="sdfootnote1">
<p class="sdfootnote"><br /></p></div><div id="sdfootnote9">
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-61024163253913636582023-07-28T10:25:00.000-07:002023-07-28T10:25:03.176-07:00The Historical Fact of the Resurrection<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghL9FbA5jvVCQfygGLAcrxq4JA01rUNW71q7qtW0iZKgs4BRy95TwQoJjedgXfZPzjPfWLUC4U77BZ4Ep7iKJDQYsywtNkWwtR1jxXhdCpahj5NbSZjk3VtKykBOeqo41bv7VQV697ZA8DrFWpwsffeID5XzdWhoMK6WtKSpp5QuXJm7SLPJ6C6zMgIg7E/s1600/wp2494784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1269" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghL9FbA5jvVCQfygGLAcrxq4JA01rUNW71q7qtW0iZKgs4BRy95TwQoJjedgXfZPzjPfWLUC4U77BZ4Ep7iKJDQYsywtNkWwtR1jxXhdCpahj5NbSZjk3VtKykBOeqo41bv7VQV697ZA8DrFWpwsffeID5XzdWhoMK6WtKSpp5QuXJm7SLPJ6C6zMgIg7E/s320/wp2494784.jpg" width="254" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">No point of the Christian creed is assailed as much as the resurrection of Jesus Christ. A vast library of books has been written in an attempt to reason away what some see either as a problematic dogma or as an outright myth that only the ignorant and superstitious would believe. For the purpose of this article, I will be limiting my examination to objections to the historical veracity of the resurrection. That is, the claims that the testimony found in the gospels is unreliable and that, as a result, the claims of the resurrection of Jesus cannot be established as historically certain. If indeed we can establish the resurrection as an event in human history, then we have gone far in defending the doctrine itself. Dr. Gary Habermas, a scholar in the fields of Philosophical Theology and historical Jesus studies provides some solid criteria from the historical method by which we can examine the resurrection claims. Why do we examine the claim by the historical method rather than the scientific? The scientific method deals with the observable and repeatable, and as the resurrection was a singular event in time and limited to a specific person, it cannot be tested by scientific means. Furthermore, science is not the sole test of truth. In fact, the claim that only science can establish truth is unscientific. Habermas offers the following points of historical note<span style="font-size: x-small;">. 1</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. In any historic event, the more independent witnesses you have, the better</b>.-This is a strong indication that the claims asserted have a basis in fact. C.S. Lewis correctly observes that:</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"The first fact in the history of Christendom is a number of people who say they have seen the Resurrection." <span style="font-size: x-small;">2</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">With regard to the resurrection of Jesus, we have multiple witnesses, including the twelve apostles, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome, James the brother of Jesus, Paul, Joanna, and more. If we take just the minimal approach, we have seventeen eyewitnesses to the fact that Jesus appeared to them alive after he had clearly died and been buried. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Affirmation by neutral or hostile sources is better than that from a friendly source.</b>- This is so because biases at work in the person's favor are not in operation. If anything, the bias will be against the claims in the case of a hostile source. With regard to the resurrection, we do indeed have extra-biblical sources that attest to the claim that Christ rose from the dead. For example, Josephus, a Jewish historian working for the Roman emperor wrote:</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"At this time there was a wise man named Jesus...and those who became his disciples...reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion and that he was alive."-Josephus <span style="font-size: x-small;">3</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Witnesses do not generally make up details that would weaken their position.</b>- For example, in the culture of the apostles and Jesus, a woman's testimony was worthless. If you attempted to use the testimony of a woman to establish a fact you would very likely find yourself losing your case. However, the early Christians employed the testimony of the women at the tomb who first saw the resurrected Christ. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Craig Keener, Professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary writes:</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"The witness of the women at the tomb is very likely historical, precisely because it was so offensive to the larger culture-not the sort of testimony one would invent. Not all testimony was regarded as being of equal merit; the trustworthiness of witnesses was considered essential." <span style="font-size: x-small;">4</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">If indeed they had been creating a fiction they hoped to foist on unsuspecting people, the choice of women as witnesses was the completely wrong way to do so. The fact that they admitted such testimony only increases the likelihood that something extraordinary did in fact occur. N.T. Wrights suggests the same when he states that the change was so sudden and drastic in the lives of the eyewitnesses that something world-shattering had occurred.<span style="font-size: x-small;">5</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>4. Eyewitness testimony is generally considered stronger than testimony from a secondhand source.</b>- Our courts of law work in this way to establish facts and a preponderance of evidence by which they can make reasonably sound judgments. The testimonies of Paul, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome, Peter, John and the other apostles are all primary witness testimonies and to disregard them is to toss out evidence that is crucial to any court case. Even Gerd Ludemann, biblical scholar and historian, as well as self-avowed atheist states:</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"It may be taken as historically certain that Peter and the disciples had experiences after Jesus' death in which Jesus appeared to them as the Risen Christ." <span style="font-size: x-small;">6</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">With such testimony being historically certain, it is essential that it be considered honestly and reasonably.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>5. Early testimony from very close to the event is generally considered more reliable than later testimony.</b>- What this means is that our primary source documents, the writings of the New Testament, are the most historically reliable sources we have to establish the fact of the resurrection. Skeptics may attempt to disregard them as mere myth, but the historical method does not permit that. It demands they be taken seriously, </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The fact of the matter is the vast majority of scholars who have studied the resurrection accounts, gathered all of the extra-biblical materials related to the case and carefully weighed the data have concluded several things.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">a. Eyewitness testimony states that Jesus appeared to them after death.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">b. That his appearance was a physical one, not a spiritual or apparition appearance.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">c. Their lives were radically changed from fearful and hiding men after his death, to bold eyewitnesses of his resurrection.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">d. These eyewitnesses, though they were tortured, imprisoned, beat and even put to death, steadfastly refused to retract their testimony or amend it in any way. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Mere myth or a scam does not encourage men to give up their lives or endure torture. Rather, if the testimony was indeed contrived, such men tend to break under the pain or even mere threat of torture. Something very real happened to these witnesses; an historic event so incredible that they gave up everything rather than deny the fact of that event. Indeed, as C.S. Lewis so wisely explained, something profound did happen in human history.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"The New Testament writers speak as if Christ's achievement in rising from the dead was the first event of its kind in the whole history of the universe. He is the 'first fruits', 'the pioneer of life'. He has forced open a door that has been locked since the death of the first man. He has met, fought, and beaten the King of Death. Everything is different because He has done so." <span style="font-size: x-small;">7</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sources</span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1. Gary Habermas and Michael Licona, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus (Kregel Publications, 2004) pp. 47-55</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2. C.S. Lewis, Joyful Christian (Simon and Schuster, 1996) pg. 64</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">3. Shlomo Pines, An Arabic Version of the Testimonium Flavianum and Its Implications (Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities: Jerusalem, 1971</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">4. Craig S. Keener, The Historical Jesus of the Gospels (Eerdmans, 2012) pg. 331</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">5. N.T. Wright, The New Testament and the People of God (Fortress Press, 1992) pg. 552</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">6. Gerd Ludemann, What Really Happened to Jesus: A Historical Approach to the Resurrection (Westminster John Knox Press, 1996) pg. 80</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">7. C.S. Lewis, Joyful Christian (Simon and Schuster, 1996) pg. 65</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-30482162399066004812023-07-17T13:27:00.001-07:002023-07-17T19:01:39.691-07:00What is a Christian's Relationship to Mosaic Law?<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8s_17OiuLIz57A88GZelL-gPL_gJG0C83fcHeIGeXbgQLEAPmGV1nsqaaXV4ctqz-APZ0Hh49iYs7kvO5uzeONC2YFSUnkuHHYYL8eFI62mLRFvBSg7BoLFwrI9HX4mcrqx57F6y7zgvh5gH04UbxVFGB9eLtt7Vvg9OUGV7LEILlufESUDLtPFmf7_lR/s474/OIP%20(1).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="474" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8s_17OiuLIz57A88GZelL-gPL_gJG0C83fcHeIGeXbgQLEAPmGV1nsqaaXV4ctqz-APZ0Hh49iYs7kvO5uzeONC2YFSUnkuHHYYL8eFI62mLRFvBSg7BoLFwrI9HX4mcrqx57F6y7zgvh5gH04UbxVFGB9eLtt7Vvg9OUGV7LEILlufESUDLtPFmf7_lR/s320/OIP%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">“<b>But we
know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully.”- 1 Timothy
1:8</b></span></div><p></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The
question of the Mosaic Law and its relationship to the New Testament
Christian is one that has been debated from the earliest days of the
church. It was just such a question that brought the Apostles
together for the first council of the church in Jerusalem recorded in
Acts 15. Subsequently the issue continued to surface in response to
both Jewish factions of the early church and heretical teachings and
sects such as the Ebionites. Eventually, as the gap between the
church and the Jewish community at large began to widen, those who
insisted on observance of the Mosaic Law broke away from the church
and became known as “Judaizers”. Today this same spirit of
Judaizing exists in the form of the Hebrew Roots Movement; a movement
that demands observance of the Mosaic Law by disciples of Christ in
precisely the same manner as Orthodox Jews. Thus they expect
disciples to be circumcised, to keep kosher, to wear tzitzit
(fringe), to observe all of the traditional holy days of Judaism, and
essentially to live an Orthodox Jewish lifestyle. On the other end of
the spectrum we have Christians leaders who teach that we have no
connection to the Mosaic Law whatsoever, and that we are not under
the law, but under grace, and that the law was done away with. This
Antinomian approach is, like its polar opposite (Judaizing),
antithetical to the teachings of Sacred Scripture on the issue. Paul
tells us in his first epistle to Timothy that the law is good if we
use it lawfully. As Dr. Allan Brown points out in his unpublished
paper <i>Not Under Law, But Under Grace</i>:</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">“<i><b>The
apostle Paul, the man who wrote the phrase, “not under the law, but
under grace,” rejects such an interpretation of his words. He wrote
to Timothy and said, “We know that the law is good, if a man use
it lawfully” (1 Tim.1:8). In other words, the Law of God—the Old
Testament—has continuing relevance in this New Testament
dispensation if it is used properly. Paul’s statement in 2 Timothy
3:16‐17 supports this claim. Writing under inspiration of the Holy
Spirit long after the New Covenant was inaugurated, Paul asserts that
the Old Testament is still profitable for “doctrine, reproof,
correction, and instruction in righteousness.” This means there is
a proper use and application of the Old Testament for Christians
today.”</b></i></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Jesus Himself
clearly held the Law in high regard. He rejected the notion that the
Law was in some way done away with by His mission.</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">
“Do not think that
I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy
but to fulfill them.</span><b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">-
Matthew 5:17</b></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Dr. Allan Brown
writes:</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">“<i><b>As
Christ honored the principles of the Law, so are His followers to
honor the principles of the Law. Thus, when Jesus speaks of His
purpose “to fulfill the Law,” He is emphasizing the continuing
validity of the Old Testament for His people.</b></i></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">This same principle
is echoed in Paul's epistle to the Romans, wherein he writes:</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">
“For Christ is the
end of the Law for righteousness to everyone that believeth.”</span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> -
<b>Romans 10:4</b></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Paul is not stating
that the Law is done away with, but that Christ is the goal of the
Law. That is, He is the example of the person the Law intends us to
be. As Dr. Allan Brown explains:</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">
“<i><b>The term
“end” (telos) in this context does not mean “end, termination,
cessation,” but rather the goal toward which the Law is directing
us. Christ is the end of the law in the sense of being the “goal”
of the Law for righteousness.”</b></i></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Christ made it very
clear that the Law has not been done away with in the gospel when he
said:</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">
“For assuredly, I
say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or tittle will
by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”- <b>Matthew
5:18</b></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Clearly heaven and
earth have not passed away (which may be a reference to the end of
days), and so the Law remains in effect.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>The
Purpose and Function of the Law</b></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The
purpose of the Law is basically twofold. First, it reveals the heart
of God. It informs us of what He thinks. Second, it reveals how to
live a proper human life. It functions on eight basic levels. Dr.
Allan Brown explains that the Law:</span></p>
<ol>
<li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Imparts
wisdom to us so we can know the truth and please God.</b></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Psalms
119:98</b>- Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than
mine enemies: for they [are] ever with me.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Psalms
119:142</b>-Thy righteousness [is] an everlasting righteousness, and
thy law [is] the truth.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Deuteronomy
4:6- Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your
understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all
these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and
understanding people.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>The
Law reveals Christ.</b></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Luke
24:44</b>- And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake
unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be
fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the
prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Galatians3:24</b>-Wherefore
the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might
be justified by faith.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>It
teaches us how to be saved by faith and does not teach salvation by
the works of the Law.</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Psalms
19:7</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">- The law of the LORD is
perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Romans
7:10</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">- And the commandment,
which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death Galatians 3:24-
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ,
that we might be justified by faith.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Galatians
3:21</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">- Is the law then against
the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given
which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been
by the law. </span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Romans
9:31‐32</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">:- But Israel, which
followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the
law of righteousness. 32. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by
faith, but as it were by the works of the law.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Romans
3:28</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">-Therefore we conclude
that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>It
encourages faith in God and obedience to His commands.</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Joshua
1:7‐8</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">- Only be thou strong
and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to
all he law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it
[to] the right-hand or [to] the left, that thou mayest prosper
whithersoever thou goest. </span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">This
book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt
meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do
according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make
thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>2 Kings
21:8</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">-Neither will I make the
feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their
fathers; only if they will observe to do according to all that I
have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant
Moses commanded them.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>It
teaches us how to love God by fearing Him and keeping His
commandments.</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Deuteronomy
10:12</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">- And now, Israel, what
doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy
God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the
LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, (13) To keep
the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee
this day for thy good?</span></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Deuteronomy
11:1</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">- Therefore thou shalt
love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and
his judgments, and his commandments, alway.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Deuteronomy
11:13</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">- And it shall come to
pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I
command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him
with all your heart and with all your soul,</span></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>It
teaches us how to be blessed and happy.</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Psalms
1:2</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">- But his delight is in the
law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Psalms
40:8</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">- I delight to do thy
will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Psalms
119:1</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">- Blessed [are] the
undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>It
reveals the sinfulness of sin and helps restrain man's sinful
tendencies.</b></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Romans
3:20</b>- For by the law is the knowledge of sin.
</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Romans
5:20</b>- Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound.
</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Romans
7:7</b>- What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I
had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except
the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Galatians
3:19</b>- Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of
transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was
made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>I
Timothy 1:9</b>- Knowing this, that the law is not made for a
righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly
and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers
and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>It
brings a sense of guilt and condemnation to those who willfully
violate God's law.</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Romans
3:19</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">- Now we know that what
things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the
law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become
guilty before God.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Galatians
3:10</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">- For as many as are of
the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed
[is] every one that continueth not in all things which are written
in the book of the law to do them.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Galatians
3:13</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">- Christ hath redeemed us
from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is
written, Cursed [is] every one that hangeth on a tree:</span></span></p></li></ol>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Clearly
then the Mosaic Law fulfills a very specific purpose in the lives of
Christians.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Having
established this we must now confront the issue of observance of the
Law. How does a Christian do so?</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Universal
Principles and Specific Applications</b></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">In
order to understand how the Mosaic Law applies to the Christian life
one must have a grasp on the so-called “UP-SA” method. UP-SA
stands for “Universal Principles-Specific Applications”.</span></p>
<ul>
<li><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Universal
Principles</b>-These are truths found in the Mosaic Law that are
based on God's eternal and unchanging character, and thus are
applicable at all places and at all times.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p>
</li><li><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Specific
Applications</b>- This is an application of these Universal Truths
specific to time, place and circumstance.</span></p></li></ul>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Greg
L. Bahnsen, a theonomist, recognizes a similar method. He writes in his book <i>By
This Standard</i>:</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">“<i><b>Likewise,
there were cultural details mentioned in many of God’s laws so as
to illustrate the moral principle which He required (for example, the
distinction between accidental manslaughter and malicious murder was
illustrated in terms of a flying axhead). What is of permanent moral
authority is the Principle illustrated, and not the cultural detail
used to illustrate it. Thus, we ought not to read the case laws of the
Old Testament as binding us to the literal wording utilized..”</b></i></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">And:</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">“<i><b>In
addition to localized imperatives and cultural details of expression,
we would note that certain administrative laws of Old Testament
society are not normative for today (for example, the type or form of
government, the method of tax collecting, the location of the
capitol). These aspects of Old Testament life were not prescribed by
standing law, and they do not bind us today.”</b></i></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The Christian is not required to observe the parts of
the Mosaic Law that are specific to the Israelites, given for a
specific time, place or circumstance- that is, the Specific
Applications. The Christian is, however, responsible for the
observance of the Universal Principles underlying these applications,
since, as mentioned, they flow from God's eternal and unchanging
character. This is at the heart of Jesus' answer regarding the
greatest commandment. And it is by the Christian's observance of
these two commandments, in a relationship with Christ and seeking to
meet His example of a proper human life with the indwelling presence
of the Holy Spirit that we embody the heart of the Mosaic Law.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">“<span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">For
this is the covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after
those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and
write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they
shall be to me a people:”-</span></span><b><span style="font-style: normal;">
Hebrews 8:10</span></b></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">It is indeed true that we are saved by grace through
faith, but this in no way renders the Mosaic Law obsolete.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">“<span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Do
we then make void the Law through faith? God forbid: yea, we
establish the law.”</span></span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> - </span></span><b><span style="font-style: normal;">Romans
3:31</span></b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">This is not a pick and choose method for understanding
the Law and must be guided by biblical thinking. Dr. Allan Brown
shares a word of caution.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">“<i><b>Each
verse in the Old Testament reflects either a universal principle or
is a specific application of a universal principle. When you
encounter a verse that seems to have no relevance to you because you
live in a different country with a different culture and different
worship practices, do not ignore or dismiss the verse. Ask yourself,
"Is this verse teaching a universal principle or is it a
specific application of a universal principle.</b></i></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">“<span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">And
he said to him, “ 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind'. This is the
great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall
love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments depend the
whole Law and the Prophets.”</span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">- </span><b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Matthew
22:37-39</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The Law not only demonstrates how to love God and our neighbor but provides a continual witness as to what these
commandments look like when properly carried out. It is a guide to
understanding what it means to be “set-apart” unto God as His
possession, set-apart from all that is sinful and all that is common.</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Bahnsen, writing of this aspect of the Law in the
Christian's life, states:</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">“<i><b>Hebrews
12:14 exhorts us to “follow after . . . the sanctification without
which no man shall see the Lord,” indicating that those who are
acceptable to God must be “set apart” (sanctified) unto Him and
“separated” from the sinful pollution of the world. This entails
cleansing from defilement (2 Cor. 7:1), leading a spotless life (2
Peter 3:14) – language reminiscent of the purity and sacrificial
laws of the Old Testament. Second Timothy 2:19 summarizes the New
Testament theme of separation from the world: “Let every one that
names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness .“ How is
this to be done? What is the nature of such separation from
unrighteousness and defilement? By what standard does the New
Testament Christian separate himself from ‘the world”? James
instructs us that the word of God — which for James surely included
the Old Testament scriptures of his day – is the key to this
ethical separation:”</b></i></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Indeed the Apostle James wrote:</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">“<span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Therefore,
putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in
humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your
souls. But prove yourselves </span></span><i><b>doers</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
of the word, and not merely </span></span><b><i>hearers</i></b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not
a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;
for once he has looked at himself, and gone away, he has immediately
forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at
the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having
become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be
blessed in what he does.”- </span></span><b><span style="font-style: normal;">James
1: 21-25</span></b></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The Mosaic Law then is a revelation of God's heart, and
when properly used shows us our true spiritual state, and encourages
us to repentance, to act on all the light we possess, provides us
with greater light, and urges us to be doers of God's Word and not
simply hearers. It is not antinomianism to recognize these facts of Sacred Scripture.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-47309821814104142822023-07-15T08:09:00.002-07:002023-12-31T09:39:35.227-08:00Servants of the Demon of Medjugorje<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIcaX8A4q0Zjjdj6qR_lwdF7BMI9b5P0HAwRUVR5ZrgAKdcKsY2cqj6Oy77Ixrcw9pW7GxbLzS9ktpofnhR48DQVRMD268VZAp296IIX5HHKDhwNsiWihoMyS05JVqw93nAmatqFMNtZb6ku8dTHMjlXTynPZ0XwT6bQouKbCZLvA_FnOVaLCb8bHNo8U/s284/13255957_10154071186685056_4321287500134827096_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="284" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIcaX8A4q0Zjjdj6qR_lwdF7BMI9b5P0HAwRUVR5ZrgAKdcKsY2cqj6Oy77Ixrcw9pW7GxbLzS9ktpofnhR48DQVRMD268VZAp296IIX5HHKDhwNsiWihoMyS05JVqw93nAmatqFMNtZb6ku8dTHMjlXTynPZ0XwT6bQouKbCZLvA_FnOVaLCb8bHNo8U/w400-h400/13255957_10154071186685056_4321287500134827096_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On June 24, 1981, six young people from Medjugorgje, a small village in Bosnia and Herzegovina, told a local Franciscan priest that they had experienced an apparition of the Blessed Mother (Mary) holding an infant. Word spread, Catholics flocked to the village and claims of miracles were soon reported to the local bishop. Was this indeed a legitimate apparition of Mary? Who were these children and who were the priests involved? Can we accept these claims of miraculous events at face value? The character of the priests involved, and the nature of the so-called apparition tell a disturbingly different tale.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Priests</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It is important that we first explore the priests involved in the Medjugorje "apparitions". Once we have done so, ask yourself whether these men have the holiness of life necessary to be the recipients of such miraculous events. This particular group of Franciscan priests had been a problem in their diocese for some time. They refused to accept the appointment of diocesan clergy to local churches, instead demanding their own priests fill the positions. In fact, they illegally held churches under their own authority in defiance of the local bishop. Many of these Franciscans had ties to the Ustasha (a Croatian terrorist organization), who were responsible for the murders of approximately 600 Serb men, women and children in 1941.<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1 </span>This, then, is the group of men who installed themselves as mediators between the public and the children claiming to have witnessed the apparition. The four priests most closely associated with the claims are also part of a movement within the Franciscan order that has adopted Charismatic practices. That is, a claim to "speaking in tongues", prophetic utterances, healings, etc. This not only places them on the fringe of Roman Catholicism, but on the extreme end of Evangelical Christianity. These four are: Tomislav Vlasic, Jozo Zovko, Ivica Vego and Ivan Prusina. It is worth noting that all four are now laicized-defrocked for a number of behaviors that are anything but Christian. Of these, Vlasic became the central figure, serving as spiritual guide to the children, controlling access to them, holding exclusive authority over the information shared with the public and generally handling the affairs of the so-called "seers". Vlasic is a study in the worst religion has to offer. In 1976 he was serving as a priest in the nearby town of Capljina, where he would hold secretive events described as "spiritual renewals". These were by invitation only and included other priests, nuns and laity. One of the nuns involved was drawn into a sexual affair with Vlasic that lasted until she became pregnant, at which time he sent her away to live alone in Germany as a layperson. He used his position as a priest in an attempt to convince her to keep the illicit affair a secret and promised her that in doing so she would be abundantly blessed, comparing her having been impregnated by him with Mary's conception of Christ.<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2 </span><span> Fornication, concubinage, lying and blasphemy are just a few of the sins we see here. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Interestingly, after this sinful affair, in May 1981, during a Charismatic gathering at the Vatican, another Charismatic priest claiming to be channeling the voice of Christ, prophesied to Vlasic, "Do not be afraid, I will send you my mother." It was just a few weeks later (in June) that the first claims of the apparitions were reported to Vlasic. Now, one might be led to think that such a miracle would be cause for Vlasic to repent of his sinful ways and begin to live a holy life. This, however, was not to be the case. By September of 1981 he had abandoned his church in Capljina without permission and gone to live in Medjugorje. The local bishop, who was suspicious of the claims, was attacked mercilessly by Vlasic and company, and not surprisingly, even the messages to come from the spirit being in the apparitions attacked him. He was vilified as a Communist who hated truth and hated God, so he was opposing the apparitions. This rhetoric matched that of these same Franciscans previous to the apparitions, which is at the least suspicious. That same autumn, Vlasic's accomplices, Vego and Prusina organized and led a violent insurrection against the clergy appointed by the bishop, physically beating them and taking over the church they served. The bishop suspended them as an act of discipline, but they simply went to Medjugorje where they sought and received the support of the spirit being manifesting as Mary. The spirit said that the bishop was "to blame for the disorder", that he "has no real love of God in his heart", and that these rebellious Franciscans should ignore his efforts to silence or stop them because they "have no faults".<span style="font-size: xx-small;">3 </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Later, when this bishop was replaced by another, these Franciscans engaged in yet another act of violence and terror. During the Bosnian war of 1992-95, these so-called holy men employed a group of Croat militia members to kidnap this new bishop. He was only freed when the United Nations sent military forces in to secure his freedom, but not before the Franciscans had him severely beaten.<span style="font-size: xx-small;">4 </span>Despite the spirit being appearing to these children having said Vego and Prusina had no faults, it was soon revealed that Vego had also engaged in a sexual affair with a nun, and she had gotten pregnant as well. Zovko, the fourth "holy man" of this group, was likewise found to have been molesting female visitors to the Medjugorje shrine. Both men were laicized.<span style="font-size: x-small;">5 </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Despite Vlasic's efforts to hide his own fornication, letters between himself and his lover made their way to the Vatican, where they were examined by then Cardinal Josef Ratzinger. Vlasic was ordered to cease his activities at Medjugorje and to leave the shrine immediately. He simply refused.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Occult Activity</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">If the rebellion, violence and illicit sexuality is not enough to demonstrate something is very wrong with the claims of the miraculous at Medjugorje, then be prepared for even more concerning activity. In 2008, diocesan authorities released a report on their investigation of Vlasic and Medjugorje. This statement claims that Vlasic had "conjured up evil spirits in Medjugorje" and was a "magician", in the sense that he practiced dark magick. Vlasic had indeed started a theosophical oriented organization based on Medjugorje, focusing on the "Light" and "Father of Light".<span style="font-size: xx-small;">6 </span>While using Christian sounding language, the actual teachings are theosophical in nature. At the same time, he established a relationship with Agnes Heupel, who herself claimed a miraculous event at Medjugorje. The two traveled together, claiming they were a modern St. Francis and St. Clare, working to establish a new religious order of their own making. One of the children who was experiencing the visions of this spirit being claimed that the being told her the order was "God's plan". She later recanted that statement, saying the being never said it. This religious order promotes many occult ideas and practices. Among them, a belief in aliens, psychic communication with alien life forms, and mystical architectural features, such as the "Door of Light". Once the order member passes through this door, they are changed spiritually, having truly died to the self and entered the world of Light. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Vlasic operated fairly unopposed until Ratzinger became the pope. Ratzinger, now Benedict XVI, launched a thorough investigation of Vlasic, Medjugorje and claims of the miraculous apparitions. In 2009, this investigation concluded that Vlasic was motivated by "mystical motivations", and was guilty of schism, heresy and adultery. He was subsequently excommunicated from the Catholic Church completely.<span style="font-size: xx-small;">7 </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The fact of occult activity in the Medjugorje shrine explains why there are many reports of outright demonic attacks there. For example, Archbishop Henryk Hoser, who was appointed special apostolic visitor to Medjugorje, stated that there is a very real demonic presence at the shrine. "Yes, it's true, there are cases of demonic manifestations", he says. "..sometimes you can hear someone screaming or ranting, even in gatherings of ten thousand people."<span style="font-size: xx-small;">8 </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Given these facts, my reader will not be at all surprised that the spirit appearing at Medjugorje has taught religious indifferentism. For example, Ivanka Ivankovic (one of the seers of the spirit), states the apparition as saying, "One cannot truly believe, be a true Christian, if he does not respect other religions as well.", and that "the people of all religions are accepted by her Son."<span style="font-size: xx-small;">9 </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Oddly, the demonic manifestations are looked upon by devotees of Medjugorje as confirmation that the miraculous apparition is holy. One Franciscan nun reports that on September 2, 2017:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>..a rather common phenomenon occurred once again. But on this day, it was on a scale I had never seen before. People in large numbers began to howl blasphemies and yell like animals.."<span style="font-size: xx-small;">10</span></i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Lest my reader think this is an exaggeration, I include here actual video of such an event at Medjugorje. What you are about to see is one of the seers of this apparition in the midst of interacting with it, while people throughout the crowd scream in demonic fits.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fjcyyjJUOgg" width="320" youtube-src-id="fjcyyjJUOgg"></iframe></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">This does not at all fit the biblical reality and model of miraculous events. Rather, this does fit the reports we have throughout the history of Christianity of demonic activities, especially those associated with witchcraft.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">1. <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/news/little-peace-or-tranquillity-at-bosnian-village-with-murderous-history-near-medjugorje-1.592692" style="text-align: left;">Little peace or tranquillity at Bosnian village with murderous history near Medjugorje – The Irish Times</a></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">2. <a href="http://www.catholicapologetics.info/catholicteaching/privaterevelation/medja.htm" style="text-align: left;">Private Revelation: Unravelling Medjugorje (catholicapologetics.info)</a></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">3. <a href="https://newera.news/medjugorje-part-5-of-5-spiritual-guides-disobedient-excommunicated-unchaste/" style="text-align: left;">Medjugorje (Part 5 of 5): Spiritual Guides Disobedient, Excommunicated, Unchaste | New Era World News</a></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">4. <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/news/little-peace-or-tranquillity-at-bosnian-village-with-murderous-history-near-medjugorje-1.592692" style="text-align: left;">Little peace or tranquillity at Bosnian village with murderous history near Medjugorje – The Irish Times</a></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">5. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/11/21/bosnian-priest-barred-at-national-shrine/5894d4fb-f705-4824-9dc6-aba1cd15d80f/" style="text-align: left;">Bosnian Priest Barred at National Shrine - The Washington Post</a></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">6. <a href="http://kraljicemira.org/en/about-us" style="text-align: left;">About us - Kraljice Mira, potpuno tvoji - po Mariji k Isusu</a></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">7. <a href="https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/14679" style="text-align: left;">Medjugorie priest defrocked | ICN (indcatholicnews.com)</a></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">8. <a href="https://fsspx.news/en/news-events/news/devil-shows-his-horns-medjugorje-60364" style="text-align: left;">The Devil Shows His Horns in Medjugorje - FSSPX.Actualités / FSSPX.News</a></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">9.<em style="background-color: #fdfdfd; border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">The Apparitions of Our Lady of Medjugorje</em><span style="background-color: #fdfdfd; text-align: left;">, Franciscan Herald Press, 1984</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: #fdfdfd; text-align: left;">10. </span><a href="https://spiritdaily.org/blog/spiritual-warfare/demonic-howls-erupt-during-apparition" style="text-align: left;">Demonic Howls Erupt During Apparition (spiritdaily.org)</a></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-5098412625011918652023-06-21T10:37:00.006-07:002023-07-01T08:56:35.535-07:00Contra Piper's Pietism<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLfZkctnJ3zn9mwMC3gtmEdEeeA7Dkv8MXrpEF3-geRfde8cIDBQON-ewX7cSwp-TZT-Iwwi8V5DCeTRa778V86cs-xTlc9ghlGxN-KSPV7eeVJtbnchAld2d_vfq4cpDf1jrrxPff-zx1qJfuAleRsBcoavWEL9n9NR1XOrIuTaZY2ZlPSr9RS0hOe_m/s703/R.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="703" data-original-width="619" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLfZkctnJ3zn9mwMC3gtmEdEeeA7Dkv8MXrpEF3-geRfde8cIDBQON-ewX7cSwp-TZT-Iwwi8V5DCeTRa778V86cs-xTlc9ghlGxN-KSPV7eeVJtbnchAld2d_vfq4cpDf1jrrxPff-zx1qJfuAleRsBcoavWEL9n9NR1XOrIuTaZY2ZlPSr9RS0hOe_m/s320/R.jpg" width="282" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Esteemed Reformed theologian John Piper's article <a href="https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/my-kingdom-is-not-of-this-world?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=adeaae16-1e69-4030-8645-88083bb2438d&utm_content=article&utm_campaign=new+teaching" target="_blank">My Kingdom is Not of This World</a> attempts to tackle the issue of Christian Nationalism specifically, and Christian government generally. The article has drawn significant response due to the controversial nature of the topic itself. Having read the article, I think Piper made some statements that he failed to provide substantive support for. These claims are the core of his argument and are the focus of my response. He begins with a statement that all orthodox Christians certainly agree with.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;">...Jesus Christ, the absolutely supreme Creator, Sustainer, and Ruler of the universe, intends to accomplish his saving purposes in the world without reliance on the powers of civil government to teach, defend, or spread the Christian religion </span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">as such</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;">.</span></b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;">No one expects the gospel to be spread by force, a point that every Christian I am associated with accepts as self-evident. He then follows this with a statement that baffles me, as I will explain. He writes:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;">Followers of Christ should not use the sword of civil government to enact, enforce, or spread any idea or behavior as </span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">explicitly</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;"> Christian — as part of the Christian religion </span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">as such</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;">.</span></b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;">He is aiming this assertion at Christian Nationalists, and while I am not a Christian Nationalist, even I can see the flaw in thinking here. Christian Nationalism does not propose to enforce Christianity by force, but merely to bring the nation's civil and criminal codes to the touchstone of Sacred Scripture in an effort to provide a more just system. The principles that would inform law and governance are those that are universal and not necessarily specific to Christianity. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;">Secondly, In Piper's opinion, the State may not enact or enforce "by the sword" any behavior that is "explicitly Christian", yet goes on to say:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>The state may indeed teach, defend, and spread ideas and behaviors that Christians support.</b></i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;">While first advocating for what can only be called secular government, Piper engages in a bit of double speak, suggesting that a secular government that will not enforce, for example, laws regarding sexual morality may at the same time "defend" such ideas. In what way can a secular State disengaged from the active civil enforcement of just laws based on the universal principles of the gospel "defend" those principles which it does not adhere to in law? What would be the point? It is like saying a parent cannot punish a child for disobedience but is expected to teach obedience. If a child knows there are no consequences for disobedience, they will likely ignore any admonition to obey. If the State is going to teach specific universal principles it must also adhere to them, and to adhere to them includes the duty to defend them, which in turn requires civil laws governing attendant behaviors. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;">He continues:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;">The New Testament opposes Christians looking to the state to teach, defend, or spread ideas or behaviors as </span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">explicitly</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;"> Christian. </span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;">While I agree that Christ does not want the gospel spread by force, I find no such prohibition in Sacred Scripture as Piper mentions here. Perhaps Piper's definition of the State is faulty. As I have written in other articles on this topic, t</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Lora, serif;">he church recognizes the legitimacy of government as having been established by God for a specific purpose. This does not mean governments always meet their intended purpose, or that some forms of government are not hostile to the divine purpose of government, but that all governments only exist by the permission of God and are all ultimately subject to Him and His judgment. The State only meets its created end when serving the will of God accurately. God has instituted government to mitigate the damage men can do to their neighbor and create an atmosphere wherein Man can meet his created end. What is Man's created end? To know, love and serve God in all things. If a State is organic (not based on revolution), it will serve this end and manifest a character that is conducive to holiness. No State can do these things if it is established as Piper suggests. It will possess a schizophrenic character that permits forces that corrupt Man to flourish unabated, as it lacks the corrective power granted to the State by God Himself. (Romans 13:4)</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Lora, serif;">Piper's model lacks order, which is a typical sign of diabolic influence. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">Everything God does has the characteristic of order, as Aquinas wrote in his S</span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">umma Theologiae</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;"> in his section on government and politics. Temporal government handling temporal affairs is a logical part of God's desired order until His kingdom on earth is realized, and this includes, as already noted, creating a culture in which Man can meet his created end. Aquinas explains, using Augustine's </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">De civitate Dei</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">, that in a healthy government, just men are those who should rule, since they would do so out of sincere concern for the well-being of others. I would ask Piper; how can just men rule if they have no authority to enforce just and holy laws permitting Man to meet his created end? </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">Abraham Kuyper said much the same in his essay </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">Calvinism: Source and Stronghold of Our Constitutional Liberties</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">, writing that one of the powers of the State is that it protects the individual. This can only be done if the State has the power to enforce such laws as are necessary to advance his progress toward God. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">Piper seems to think the Christian Nationalist position would fuse Church and State, which is not at all the case. There are very real conflicts between the Church and State. This is revealed in the nature of the State to expand its influence beyond the divinely mandated parameters. For example, the State has no authority to address issues proper to the Church, such as discipline, form, matter, theology, etc. The State exists to rule within its own "kingdom" and not in that of the Church. In such cases, the Church is forced to resist and reprimand the State. (Acts 5:29) This is true because the State is established by God and is, therefore, subject to His divinely revealed will.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">Beyond Piper's clear pietistic leanings, he seems to suffer from the distinct defects of American thinking with regard to liberty, dragging them into his theology. In response I would suggest that the American concept of liberty is deeply flawed and lends itself to degeneracy and sin. Pope Leo XIII said as much in his papal encyclical </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">Libertas, </i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">writing</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;"> that many of those who pursue liberty become de facto liberals, mistaking liberty for license to sin. Thus, they follow in the footsteps of Satan and say, “I refuse to serve.” This refusal is, again, what Piper's approach promotes. As such, it works against faith and morals, and therefore, cannot be said to be an orthodox Christian perspective on government.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">Piper states:</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>The principle here is that the government uses its civil authority to provide a society of peace and justice where Christians (and others) are free to live out their faith without physical resistance. </i></b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To support this contention Piper uses 1 Timothy 2:1-2. However, nowhere in these verses is religious indifferentism or pluralism implied or taught as a good. This is a case of Piper stretching a verse to meet his pietist proclivities. Rather, these verses urge us to pray for all, including leaders, so that Christians would not be brought into persecution. For a man as astute as Piper to seemingly abuse scripture as he does here is, frankly, astounding. He emphasizes his error by writing:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>This passage does not warrant the view that other religions may legitimately be oppressed by government force. The principle is peace and stability and justice, not that any one religion be supported or restrained rather than another.</i></b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The truth of the matter is the verse in question does not address the issue at all, apart from the desire of Christians to live peacefully under the government. To extrapolate from this stated desire that the State cannot prohibit the public expression of any given religion, or may not establish one, is simply to abuse scripture. He goes on to repeat himself.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>I will argue that it is precisely our supreme allegiance to the lordship of Christ that obliges us <span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">not</span> to use the God-given sword of civil government to threaten the punishment,</i></b> </span></span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: left;"><b>or withhold the freedoms, of persons who do not confess Christ as Lord.</b></i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Again, we have to distinguish between using force to advance the gospel and the ability of the State to legitimately use the threat of punishment for actions deemed to be counterproductive to a healthy society and the proper end of Man. No Christian Nationalist I have met has any desire to force conversions. In fact, many very much believe in the so-called "freedom of religion". He continues to repeat himself:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>There is no warrant in the New Testament for the church or the state to use force against non-Christian beliefs or against outward expressions of such beliefs that are not crimes on other counts.</b></i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Piper ignores the many examples from the Old Testament wherein God does indeed order the Israelites not to permit the outward expression of pagan beliefs. In some cases, these prohibitions are not connected to any specific crime, but instead to the false worship itself. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>"Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God."</b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> -Exodus 34:14</b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Christian State may, if it deems it necessary to secure a healthy culture in which Man can more certainly meet his created end, prohibit the outward expression of any belief system that is a stumbling block to that end. In fact, one could say a Christian State would have the duty to do so. Of course, many will invoke "freedom of religion" in an attempt to offer a rebuttal to my statement, but such freedom is itself not evidenced in Sacred Scripture. </span></span>Liberty of worship, which is sometimes called liberty of conscience, grants everyone the right to profess whatever religion he pleases, or even to profess none at all. This same liberty is what Piper invokes to forbid the State to render worship to the one, true God. In fact, Piper's position, which can legitimately be called religious indifferentism, requires a Christian State to place falsehood on the same level as truth and Satan on the same platform as Christ. This indifferent approach has provided us with nearly 250 years' worth of evidence that demonstrates it does nothing but erode the Christian influence in culture, since that is exactly one of the effects this false liberty has had. Freedom of religion is not founded in Sacred Scripture, but is a principle to arise from the Enlightenment, which was at its very core anti-Christian. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">Christianity alone is true and binding upon all men. By the will of God, Christianity has the right to exist and to spread throughout the world, to demand faith and obedience from all men, as every man is bound to seek his salvation in Christ. Every doctrine and ideology opposed to God's Word, and all morals contrary to God's moral law, are condemned in Sacred Scripture without appeal. Neither religious error nor moral evil, the two deadly poisons for the intellect and the will, can ever have any right of existence. It follows, therefore, that no individual or government may lawfully place any obstacle to the exercise of this exclusive right of the Christian Faith without incurring divine judgment. In fact, right and duty are correlative terms; the right of one person necessarily implies the duty of others to respect that right. Therefore, it follows that neither individual nor government can lawfully claim for error or evil, heresy, godlessness, and immorality a natural right to exist or expand. Error and evil have no such right; on the contrary, rights belong exclusively to truth and goodness. Herein we find in principle the inevitable condemnation of Piper's stated position. Indeed, his position is nothing short of the proclamation of the rights of error and evil, and his insistence that the State refuse to respect, assert, and protect rights belonging exclusively to Christ and his Church. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">In the final analysis, Piper's pietism is not as biblical as he would have his reader believe and is, in fact, an abdication of the responsibility to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16) in the fullest expression of the phrase. It is a worldview lacking in saltiness and good for nothing except to be thrown out and trampled.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-59558718252184360192023-06-07T15:13:00.001-07:002023-06-07T15:13:54.728-07:00Consecrate Yourself Sexually<p><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify;"><b><i><span class="text 1Thess-4-3" id="en-NIV-29607" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify;"><b><i><span class="text 1Thess-4-3" id="en-NIV-29607" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoUV6evXVZk8EhpwdRG74-4o0vFMuTlHFEXo6blOyaVTZxlc2UAPI3d6TF17RtvY36BC33wERFGGSs_czH839yD_tc0nTFlCvg_uOCDqsHuN4neHk6dLfhb8gyAX2As-7QJy-MkWMAxtXwdz5t508aIjYa81hvm9VJRtgpncN2tlVYdafGwCqv7Nw-Gw/s899/Aug%2020%20-%20St.%20Bernard%20of%20Clairvaux.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="723" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoUV6evXVZk8EhpwdRG74-4o0vFMuTlHFEXo6blOyaVTZxlc2UAPI3d6TF17RtvY36BC33wERFGGSs_czH839yD_tc0nTFlCvg_uOCDqsHuN4neHk6dLfhb8gyAX2As-7QJy-MkWMAxtXwdz5t508aIjYa81hvm9VJRtgpncN2tlVYdafGwCqv7Nw-Gw/w321-h400/Aug%2020%20-%20St.%20Bernard%20of%20Clairvaux.jpg" width="321" /></a></span></span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify;"><b><i><span class="text 1Thess-4-3" id="en-NIV-29607" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i><span class="text 1Thess-4-3" id="en-NIV-29607" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">3 </span>It is God’s will<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29607A" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29607A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29607B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29607B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text 1Thess-4-4" id="en-NIV-29608" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">4 </span>that each of you should learn to control your own body<span class="footnote" data-fn="#fen-NIV-29608a" data-link="[<a href="#fen-NIV-29608a" title="See footnote a">a</a>]" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">[<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thessalonians%204:3-7#fen-NIV-29608a" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b34b2c; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: top;" title="See footnote a">a</a>]</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29608C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29608C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> in a way that is holy and honorable,</span><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text 1Thess-4-5" id="en-NIV-29609" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">5 </span>not in passionate lust<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29609D" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29609D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> like the pagans,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29609E" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29609E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> who do not know God;<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29609F" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29609F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text 1Thess-4-6" id="en-NIV-29610" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">6 </span>and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29610H" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29610H" title="See cross-reference H">H</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> all those who commit such sins,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29610I" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29610I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> as we told you and warned you before.</span><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></i></b><span class="text 1Thess-4-7" id="en-NIV-29611" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;"><b><i><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">7 </span>For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. </i></b></span></span><span class="text 1Thess-4-7" face=""helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;"><b><i>-</i></b> </span><b style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 16.5pt; text-align: center;">I Thessalonians 4:3-7</b></span></span></i></b></span></div><p></p><div class="Standard"><br /></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">The Apostle Paul is writing here to the Christians in Thessalonica who were surrounded by the influences of their previous pagan lifestyles, which included pagan religious practices that made sexual immorality a literal sacrament. It was a normal practice to have sex with temple prostitutes and even for husbands and wives to engage in adultery. </div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">However, as a Christian you're called to a holy life, which means every facet of our lives are to be consecrated or "sanctified" unto the Lord, including your sex life.</div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b>I. Consecration<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">The word “sanctification” is from the Greek word <i><b>hagiasmos</b></i>, meaning “holiness” and “purity of life”.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "opensymbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: OpenSymbol; mso-fareast-font-family: OpenSymbol;">•<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Does this purity just happen, or do we have to actively seek it and do something?<o:p></o:p></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">Sanctification itself, though a unique work of God, requires something of us. It requires we make the effort to cease doing evil and learn to do good. In other words, your part in your sanctification is that you subdue the unholy habits in your life and cultivate principles of holiness. This is essentially consecration.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo3; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "opensymbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: OpenSymbol; mso-fareast-font-family: OpenSymbol;">•<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->When you hear the word <i><b>consecration</b></i>, what comes to mind?<o:p></o:p></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">Consecration is an <b>action</b>.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l6 level1 lfo4; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "opensymbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: OpenSymbol; mso-fareast-font-family: OpenSymbol;">•<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Exodus 13:2</b>- “Consecrate to me all the firstborn.”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l6 level1 lfo4; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "opensymbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: OpenSymbol; mso-fareast-font-family: OpenSymbol;">•<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Exodus 19:10</b>- The Lord said to Moses, 'Go to the people and consecrate them...<o:p></o:p></div><div class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l6 level1 lfo4; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "opensymbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: OpenSymbol; mso-fareast-font-family: OpenSymbol;">•<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Exodus 19:22</b>- Also, let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves..<o:p></o:p></div><div class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l6 level1 lfo4; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "opensymbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: OpenSymbol; mso-fareast-font-family: OpenSymbol;">•<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Exodus 22:31</b>- You shall be consecrated to me.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l6 level1 lfo4; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "opensymbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: OpenSymbol; mso-fareast-font-family: OpenSymbol;">•<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b>John 17:19</b>- And for their sake I consecrate myself.. (Even Jesus consecrated himself!)<o:p></o:p></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">It is more than merely a mental assent or praying a prayer once and being done with it. It is like an athlete training for any given sport. The athlete can't simply say he or she is going to win a gold medal and then sit back on the couch and hope to make that happen without action. The athlete has to train. And training is sometimes difficult. It hurts.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">Likewise, consecration is action, on an inner level as well as external. You see, the spiritual life is real. It isn't just concepts tossed on a page and packaged as suggestions. Consecration is real and you have to put it into action, otherwise you will fail and may even walk away thinking it's impossible, or that God somehow failed you. That isn't the case at all. The only failure is that you failed to follow up on scriptural admonitions with affirmative action.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">I once saw a hidden camera show where they would secretly follow husbands who were away on business trips at the request of their wives, hoping to find any evidence of infidelity. And as you might expect this show found more than enough evidence that I'm sure destroyed a few marriages. One husband was quite interesting though. The program followed him to the hotel restaurant where he sat at a bar eating his dinner alone. They sent in a decoy- a beautiful blonde model- to tempt him to sin. She flirted and cooed at him; was provocative and finally asked him to go back to her room with her. The husband looked up from his dinner and said, “You're a pretty girl, but I'm married, and I love my wife, so no thanks.” I have no idea whether this husband was a Christian or not, but he certainly exemplified control of his own body and implied he understood at least a basic concept of consecration. He could have done exactly what the Apostle tells us not to do. He could have taken advantage of this woman. He could have defrauded his brother. What is it to defraud someone? Simply put, it is to take something that doesn't belong to you. That woman in the hotel wasn't his wife. She might have been someone else's wife, or in the future she will get married, and this husband will have defrauded her future husband of a part of her that was intended for him alone. But he didn't. You see, he demonstrated his commitment to controlling passion and lust for a higher good. He understood the sanctity of his marriage covenant. He had consecrated himself to his wife. And you can do the same. You can lead a sexually pure life.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="Standard"><br /></div><div class="Standard"><b>II. Take Your Thoughts Captive<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">To maintain this state of consecration and avoid sexual immorality we can do many things.</div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">We can get accountability partners, memorize scripture, get rid of occasions of sin in your life, such as computers, certain television programming, etc. However, the most important place to begin is in the mind- your thoughts.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b>II Corinthians 10:5</b> states, <i>“..we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”</i><o:p></o:p></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">There are a variety of things we can do to “take our thoughts captive”, which is where the battleground for sexual immorality (indeed all sin) begins. We need to pay careful attention to our thoughts. There is a process to a thought taking root. Sinful thoughts begin as mere suggestions. They can arise from our own frailties and failings, or they can even be suggested to us by the Adversary. Then the thought will proceed to a conversation, where an interest arises in you for that thought. Then you move to acceptance of the thought, followed by captivity to the thought which ultimately leads to manifestation of the sin suggested. You see, sin requires no effort on your part whatsoever, only that you passively accept the initial suggestion, rather than actively rejecting it through consecration.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo6; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "opensymbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: OpenSymbol; mso-fareast-font-family: OpenSymbol;">•<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Consecration then implies we abandon any sense of being a victim of sin. We are not simply prey, unable to help ourselves. You are perfectly able, with the grace of God to live a sexually pure life. Consecration works hand in hand with God's part of the equation, which is sanctification. When we actively engage ourselves in consecration, God will, through the sacrifice of Christ, make us “set apart” unto Himself.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo7; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "opensymbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: OpenSymbol; mso-fareast-font-family: OpenSymbol;">•<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->This is not talking about salvation by works. Quite the contrary. The point in observing your thoughts is that it reveals you cannot trust in yourself. You must trust in God alone. This is the entire reason consecration is so necessary.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="Standard" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div><div class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo7; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "opensymbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: OpenSymbol; mso-fareast-font-family: OpenSymbol;">•<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Consecration is not a comfortable, passive life. It isn't a life where you attend church, pay tithes, maybe have a few spiritual highs here and there with no real demand on you or any substantial responsibility. It is a fundamental change in how we approach God, so that He is at the center and our goal is ever deeper communion with Him.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-25085600898437207152023-05-31T14:29:00.001-07:002023-05-31T14:29:43.679-07:00The Lesson of the Sword<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBJeaJ1eODUT5gF3uKfhk9CNXlxuUchsZ_gkfX0sbK7PkEfQBxpmjw7wt7M4W7DdeBtj5z7edGo11HPnGK_R-NGXxv-sgqhvsh2YEdKQridBxyPI-tYSIuwvFYikRwg-eRR4QNJQhI5olq5uLIj3InnEO8zDBW6r21mYGfx6RP9Iu7zYbzS9u5Qy1mg/s640/66042f516e47ec71410310876ecc0e3a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBJeaJ1eODUT5gF3uKfhk9CNXlxuUchsZ_gkfX0sbK7PkEfQBxpmjw7wt7M4W7DdeBtj5z7edGo11HPnGK_R-NGXxv-sgqhvsh2YEdKQridBxyPI-tYSIuwvFYikRwg-eRR4QNJQhI5olq5uLIj3InnEO8zDBW6r21mYGfx6RP9Iu7zYbzS9u5Qy1mg/w268-h400/66042f516e47ec71410310876ecc0e3a.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As a
martial artist of a little over 40 years, I've had a bit of
experience with swords. The particular martial art I teach is a
traditional Japanese art and includes, at the higher ranks, plenty of
opportunity for sword training. One of the interesting psychological principles of Japanese “kenjutsu” (sword skills) is that, <i>if your heart isn't right, the sword will reveal
it.</i></div><p></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="text-align: left;">The Samurai are perhaps the most well-known swordsman of all time. They
spent each and everyday training with their sword, caring for their
sword, and even sleeping with their sword. For the Samurai, the sword
was not simply a weapon to be used to hack limbs from torso's but was seen as a spiritual item. Indeed, they believed the sword could "feel" your intention or know the condition of your heart. And
in samurai lore, if your sword wasn't pleased with the condition of
your heart, it could arrange your defeat at the hands of an
enemy. Most will misunderstand this idea, but it is simply a way of making the swordsman do some self-reflection before he draws his blade. It also provides for us
a picture</span><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;"> something Sacred Scripture
teaches us.</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: center; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><b>If
your heart isn't right, the sword will reveal it.</b></span></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 0.23in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><a name="en-NIV-30027"></a><a name="en-NIV-30028"></a>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;"><i><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">12 </span></b></i></span><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">For
the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any
double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and
spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of
the heart. </span></span></i></span><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;"><i><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">13 </span></b></i></span><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Nothing
in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is
uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give
account</span></span></i></span><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">.- </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">Hebrews
4:12-13</span></b></span></span></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br />
</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Paul
tells us in this verse that the Word of God is “<i style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><b>living
and active”</b></i>! It is alive, interacting in dynamic ways, and
even “<i><b style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">sharper than any </b><b>double-edged</b><b style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"> sword”.</b></i> I
don't know how much you know about double edged swords, but they are
deadly weapons. It is extremely difficult to avoid their cutting ability in a self-protection scenario. Likewise, the Word of God, if we're "tuned in" to
the Holy Spirit, isn't something we can avoid easily. We can duck
God's Word, dodge its meaning, and parry away its influence all we
like, but it will cut through our facade of righteousness, our
feigned religiosity, to expose the sin we seek to hide. It will
indeed penetrate “<i style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><b>even to dividing soul and spirit,
joints and marrow”</b></i>. That's quite a disturbing image, isn't
it? Paul uses vivid, even violent language to describe how the Word
works. It reveals the incredible ability of the Word of God has to
destroy all that would come between us and the Lord.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: center; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><b>If
your heart isn't right, the sword will reveal it.</b></span></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">One
time during my training I was paired up against a young Japanese lady for a
full speed sword practice. She was a tiny woman of maybe 95 pounds, and I
honestly thought she'd be a pushover. I squared up across from her,
my bokken (wooden training sword) at the ready. I was sure I had this one in
the bag. Once the signal was given for our sparring match to begin, I
quickly realized this would be no ordinary match. In a flash she
began taking me apart like it was nothing. The more she hit me, the
more she found every weakness in my defenses, the angrier I
became, the less humble, and the more ego driven. After all, how
could I let a <i style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">mere girl</i> best me? The strategies I was learning seemed to have vanished as I grew desperate to save face. However, when all was said
and done, she quite honestly tore me apart. You see, my attitude, my
heart wasn't right, and it came out in full view in my actions. The
angrier I became, the more my ego was bruised, the less skilled I
appeared. I blew it. My sword (and hers) had revealed my weaknesses.</span></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Bryan
J. Whitfield, associate professor of Christianity at Mercer
University puts it this way, <i><b>“...as the word penetrates,
it judges our hearts. The role of the heart is a central feature in
the sermon against unbelief. Since our hearts represent who we are as
a whole, the condition of our hearts marks our openness to or
rejection of God's voice. Thus, the divine word unmasks and makes
clear our faithfulness or unbelief.” </b></i></span></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Paul
in no uncertain terms tells us that the double-edged sword of the
Word of God “<i style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><b>judges the thoughts and attitudes of the
heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything
is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must
give an account.”</b></i> </span></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The
phrase “uncovered and laid bare” here, in the original Greek,
actually denotes being taken by the throat, or having your neck
twisted back. Again, Paul uses violent, combat oriented language here
to demonstrate just how powerfully we are at the mercy of the Word. </span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: center; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><b>If
your heart isn't right, the sword will reveal it.</b></span></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0.2in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Unlike
the combat tools of martial arts, the Word of God, in the context of
this scripture, isn't simply a weapon used to defeat enemies. This
“Word of God” is a <i><b>Person</b></i>. A merciful person-
the <i><b>MOST</b></i> merciful person to have ever
lived-Jesus Christ.</span></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The
Church Father, Tertullian, wrote, <i>"In His good work, God
employs a most excellent minister, even His own Word."</i></span></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Cyprian
likewise tell us, <i>"This same Christ is the Word of God."</i></span></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">And
most importantly, Sacred Scripture tells us, <span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #001320;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;"><i><span style="background: #fdfeff;">The
Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his
glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father,
full of grace and truth." - </span></i></span></span><span style="color: #001320;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;"><b><span style="background: #fdfeff;">John
1:14</span></b></span></span></span></span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">And
unlike the selfish and sinful use of swords in this fallen world,
this “sword” cuts, divides and uncovers <i><b>as an act of
mercy.</b></i></span></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">This
Word pierces our facade; rips away the mask, pulls back the curtain,
revealing who we really are-warts and all.</span></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">You
see, unless we are made aware of our heart condition, we can never
hope to see salvation. I'm personally thankful that the Word
continues to cut me asunder and show me the stark reality of my need
for his love and mercy. </span></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Indeed,
if your heart isn't right, the sword-in his wonderful, loving
mercy- <i><b>will</b></i> reveal it. </span></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">And
not for your undoing, but to your eternal benefit.</span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-57821007418715647222023-05-25T10:39:00.002-07:002023-05-25T10:40:56.730-07:00What Should Christians Know About Church & State?<p><span style="text-align: justify;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguMWwwFNDlazkePmg61ExUvCd2cHzGyKDA3KU3N1v_GxZ15a1WNiIvMrDUFQVDo4Mnb0OBFY9mdik3xs5e2yQ3y7M-ZjQGQf8X30ZwnpzYArkYwzp-ugIzHvTDEi_Pa4t3L9Ei4j1SKf8Wgb4woxE5CYn44mZKA9rwrFdIdy01vIGivy-MAKTfa2gOQ/s1100/augustine.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="1100" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguMWwwFNDlazkePmg61ExUvCd2cHzGyKDA3KU3N1v_GxZ15a1WNiIvMrDUFQVDo4Mnb0OBFY9mdik3xs5e2yQ3y7M-ZjQGQf8X30ZwnpzYArkYwzp-ugIzHvTDEi_Pa4t3L9Ei4j1SKf8Wgb4woxE5CYn44mZKA9rwrFdIdy01vIGivy-MAKTfa2gOQ/w400-h268/augustine.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are a few basic things Christians must be aware of if they are to negotiate the political battlefield with any hope of effectiveness. What follows are a few of my own realizations. I share them in the hope that they might be of some help to others in the formation of their approach to all things political.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>What are the Church & State?</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The Church (ekklesia) is quite literally an assembly of the “called out” disciples of Jesus Christ. The idea of a spiritual community as an assembly is found throughout Sacred Scripture, including the Old Testament. The Church is founded and built by Christ Himself, at least in part on the testimony of faithful witnesses to His life, teachings, suffering, death, resurrection and ascension. The primary witness being that He is indeed the Christ and Son of God, as Peter confessed. (Matthew 16:13-20) As a spiritual community with authority over spiritual matters, the Church is a manifestation of the kingdom of God in the hearts, minds and lives of all of its members. (Luke 17:20-21) As such, it is a “kingdom” wherein Christ alone governs the affairs of its members, since they form His mystical Body at work in the world. (1 Corinthians 12:27) As His mystical Body, we are to be “salt” and “light”. (Matthew 5:13-16) This would include being an example to the surrounding culture and a moral voice to the State regarding morality, ethics, etc. It is important to note that while Christians certainly live in the various cultures, societies and States of the world, they are also “not of the world”. (John 17:16) That is, Christians do not always live by the social or cultural norms of any given nation, but instead live by higher principles, which are often in conflict with the world around them. The Church, as a spiritual kingdom, lives by the laws of the Kingdom of God, which its members are always in anticipation of seeing manifest on the earth at any moment. (Revelation 22:12) However, as a spiritual community its members are still subject to the laws of temporal governments. (Romans 13:1; 1 Peter 2:17) </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The church recognizes the legitimacy of government as having been established by God for a specific purpose. This does not mean governments always meet their intended purpose, or that some forms of government are not hostile to the divine purpose of government, but that all governments only exist by the permission of God and are all ultimately subject to Him and His judgment. Therefore, the State is a temporal community (or kingdom) which exists to govern the temporal affairs of Man. More to the point, the State is the organized will of any given people group, whereby they govern community affairs. That State, if organic, will serve the unique needs of that people and manifest a character that is also unique to that people. Sometimes the form of government within a State will be inorganic, as in such political movements as Communism, which does not emerge organically within the ethnic communities it ultimately oppresses but is revolutionary (a disruption in the natural order and organized will) and usually imposed by foreign elements acting on the grievances of a disaffected few. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Everything God does has the characteristic of order, as Aquinas wrote in his S<i>umma Theologiae</i> in the section on government and politics. Temporal government handling temporal affairs is a logical part of God's desired order until His kingdom on earth is realized. Aquinas goes on to explain, using Augustine's <i>De civitate Dei</i>, that in a healthy government, just men are those who should rule, since they would do so out of sincere concern for the well-being of others. This means that a healthy State will render equal justice to everyone. Abraham Kuyper said much the same in his essay <i>Calvinism: Source and Stronghold of Our Constitutional Liberties</i>, writing that one of the powers of the State is that it protects the individual, supporting my contention. If and when a State fails to protect the individual through equal justice, the State begins the decline into despotism and loses a measure of authority commensurate to the injustice it perpetrates on its citizens. I am not speaking here of equality of outcome, but equality of opportunity, protection under the law and standing in all matters pertaining to the individuals rights, duties and property. This does not mean the State must have a democratic form of government, as this equal justice can be had in most forms of government, including absolute monarchy. We often think of liberty as being an exclusively American ideal, when it is not. In fact, I would suggest that the American concept of liberty is deeply flawed and lends itself to degeneracy and sin. Pope Leo XIII said as much in his papal encyclical <i>Libertas</i>. He wrote that many of those who pursue liberty become de facto liberals, mistaking liberty for license to sin. Thus, they follow in the footsteps of Satan and say, “I refuse to serve.” </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Christian theology, as it is the exposition of the infallible revealed will of God found in Sacred Scripture, is of vast importance to navigating the political world, since politics has profound social, cultural, moral and spiritual impact, and governments only have their authority through the divine Author of Sacred Scripture. Governments have no power over us that is not granted by God. (John 19:11) Understanding the proper role of government and the limit of its authority is important to the distinction of the two kingdoms-the Church and the State. It is important to recognize the conflict that will always be present between the two. While some might say there is no conflict between Church and State, I think we have to consider this more carefully. There are indeed conflicts, since it is the nature of all States to expand their power, including into areas the State has no divinely granted authority in which to operate. So, theology informs us of what those areas are, what the proper role of the State is, our responsibilities to the State, how we best support the State, as well as when and how we should resist the State when it seeks to usurp the authority of the kingdom of God (the Church). (Acts 5:29) </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The modern secular State militates against the Church and the Christian worldview. This is so because the secular State has a set of pseudo-theological principles of its own which it seeks to impose upon the citizenry via public education, television and film, news media and social media. Thus, we have the conflict of two distinct realms of authority, and only one of which has spiritual authority to advance a theological agenda. If Christians are unaware of what they believe and why they believe it, they can easily fall prey to the theological secularism of the modern State. It begins when the Christian realizes that we are in a spiritual war. (Ephesians 6:12-18) The various forces arrayed against the Christian are mentioned in Paul's epistle to the Ephesians in strictly political terms. This is interesting since we are to obey the rulers, yet we see them here portrayed as the forces we do battle with. There are spiritual forces at work behind the State, and those forces most often seek to influence the State to the destruction of Christians and, more generally, to humanity as a whole. This is yet another reason why theology is important for understanding and interacting with the State. We must be aware of our Adversary and discern when the State is acting under his influence. Romans 13:1-7 Paul writes a bit regarding the Christian's duty to the State. He notes in verse one that the governing authorities are established by God and rule only through His authority. The State is established by God and is therefore subject to Him. It is not an equal authority, but a temporal one with limited scope. In Romans 13:2 we are told that those who rebel against this authority will bring judgment upon themselves. This judgment will be in the form of retribution by the State, as verses three and four point out. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">If indeed the government is just, then its laws and punishments will generally be just as well, reflecting the justice of the Lord God. Romans 13:5 mentions obedience as a matter of conscience. A well-formed conscience is one that is bound to the principles of the gospel. As one of these principles is that Christians are to be an example to the world, abstaining from violating the law is a basic tenet. We do not drive faster than the speed limit, we do not steal, etc. But this commandment to obey the government is not just with regard to negatives (what you should not do), but also the positives (what you should do). Paul mentions in Romans 13:6 that we are to pay our taxes. Many Christians refer to taxes as theft, but Paul clearly does not agree. Tertullian wrote in his treatise <i>On Idolatry</i>, commenting on Christ's words found in Matthew 22:21, that we are to certainly render to the State what belongs to the State (money/taxes) and to God what belongs to God (yourself). </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Furthermore, we are to render honor to the State and the governing authorities (Romans 13:7). We honor them best by praying for them. Prayer for the stability of the State, for the governmental leaders and representatives to have wisdom and pursue what is good are what is expected of all Christians. The early Christians, even in the midst of persecutions, offered prayers for the emperor and did their best to reason with him by writing various defenses of the Christian faith, attempting to clear up misconceptions they had regarding the Church. They did not rebel against the State. The concept of rebellion, as in organized revolution, is really at the root of most modern secular States, including the United States, which was born in a bloody rebellion against the English monarchy. Interestingly, if we examine Augustine's<i> Just War Theory</i>, we find that the American Revolution does not fit the defined parameters for a just resistance. And biblically speaking, the American Revolution and Communist Revolution in Russia are equally sinful and condemned by the Apostle Paul. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Two Kingdoms</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">While some point to Augustine's <i>De civitate Dei</i>, as well as the writings of Martin Luther as developing the Two Kingdoms theory, I think it can be generally found in the corpus of the Church Fathers as well, at least as an underlying principle guiding their approach to the State. Essentially, the theory is that there are two separate kingdoms, one spiritual and one temporal. The Church is, of course, the spiritual, while the State is the temporal. I agree with Luther, in that the State has no authority over the Church and the Church should not grow too close to the State. It is the place of the Church to help people grow spiritually into a holy, righteous people. This is ultimately a help to the State as it forms the conscience of those within the walls of the Church, orienting them toward the good and making them good citizens as a consequence. For Luther, the Church and State (the two kingdoms) have complementary roles. This set his theory apart from Augustine's theory of the Two Kingdoms, which stated they are actually in constant conflict, referring to the State as the “earthly city”, which is controlled by the worldly and sinful. My personal position on the Two Kingdoms is as follows: I take a position closer to Augustine's. It is the nature of the State, as it is a human operated institution, to move toward sin and away of the will of God. We have no guarantee that the State will be populated with men and women of wisdom, justice and faith. To the contrary, the modern secular State has proven to be almost completely opposed to those things. In some cases, Christians are once more the target of the State, seeking to force upon believers' actions that violate the conscience and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, I believe that the secular State is often an enemy of faith and most often in rebellion to God. This is because our world is ruled by Satan. (1 John 5:19) Therefore, the Church should never foster too close a relationship with the secular State. We are called out of the world, and therefore away from the machinations of the secular State, since it represents things to which a Christian can never assent nor allow themselves to be associated with. (John 17:14-16) The Church is an “embassy”, as it were, of the Kingdom of God in the midst of a world controlled by the Adversary. As such, it has the responsibility to be salt and light, as I mentioned previously. (Matthew 5:13-16) We are to obey Paul's admonition to obey the State, only in so far as the laws and mandates of the State do not violate our conscience or the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are to obey God first, not men. If State authorities demand something of us that is not in keeping with these two strongholds of faith (conscience and the gospel), we have the duty before God to resist. (Acts 5:29) </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Public Office & Military Service</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I agree with the Church Fathers who taught that Christians should not hold public office in a secular or pagan State, nor serve in the military, though I grant these may be permissible in a Christian State. Both of these secular State vocations require at some level a compromise of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In some cases, it demands outright violation of God's Word, which is high handed sin and places one in danger of God's wrath as well as, depending on the specific violation, placing one outside the Body of Christ. For example, as a soldier you must swear an oath to the Constitution, the President of the United States and your leadership in the military. This oath requires obedience. If one is deployed to combat, you may encounter Christians who are in the military for the perceived enemy. There is no sense in which we can claim to be one body, nor to love our neighbor, if we are willing to kill them for a political or economic agenda that you have extremely limited knowledge of and cannot attest that it is a good or just cause, such that killing fellow believers is somehow justifiable. Being a politician is no better, since, for example, you will be privy to information that must be kept secret from the people, but which, if they had knowledge of, would certainly justifiably anger them and affect change for the good of all. Politicians are also frequently pressured to sign legislation based on party loyalty, the promise of financial support for pet projects, etc., that contribute to a decline in public morals and a healthy culture. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Love of Neighbor </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Love of neighbor is commanded by Christ as one of the conditions by which people know we are His disciples. (Mark 12:31; John 13:35) We love our neighbor best when we seek their highest good, whether spiritual or temporal, even as Christ sought and continues to seek their highest good. This is done first by being an example of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our attitudes and actions. This implies that we share the gospel with them by both word and deed, hoping to bring them to a relationship with the Savior. Second, we love them by praying for them, even if they hate or despise us. (1 Timothy 2:1; Matthew 5:44) Third, we love them by advancing all that is good and holy. This is where the sociopolitical comes into the equation. While I do not think Christians should hold office or serve in the military of a secular State, I do not advocate for absolute non-participation. As previously mentioned, the spiritual warfare we are all engaged in demands we recognize the diabolic forces behind the State, encouraging it to acts of evil. Therefore, one of the areas of warfare we should engage is that of legislation and voting. We love our neighbors by voting for candidates who will advance morality and goodness, contributing to the health of the culture. In a secular State, this often requires voters to make a choice between the lesser of two bad candidates or proposed legislation. A good example is the abortion issue. In most states, the state legislatures have compromised on the Pro-Life issue, offering legislation that permits abortion up to a certain number of weeks into the pregnancy. While such legislation is far from ideal, voting for the candidate who advances it, or voting for that legislation as opposed to allowing abortion on demand to continue, a pragmatic approach is necessary, if that approach does not violate the individual Christian's conscience. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Immigration & Civic Issues</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">While it is true many nations have people fleeing them due to legitimate persecution, the vast majority of immigrants into Western European nations and the United States are immigrating solely for economic purposes. As Christians we certainly have compassion for the poor and should do what we can to help them. However, our primary responsibility on a national level is to our fellow citizens. Love absolutely discriminates. When we permit unfettered immigration into our country, this has damaging ripple effects. Welfare is stretched to the breaking point due to non-citizens, for whom the welfare system was never intended, and who begin to drain resources. The same applies to low-income housing, childcare and public-school funds. We also have to take into account the great number of criminals who enter the nation and do damage to our neighbors. Thus, we cannot permit illegal or even high levels of immigration without violating the commandment to love our neighbor. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Foreign Aid</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">With regard to international relations, we love our neighbor best by advancing policies in trade, finance, aid and other expenditures that do not add to a national debt, subtract from the welfare of our poorer citizens, permit enemy nations to grow, or in any other way undermine the highest good of the nation. In our current political milieu this would mean the vast majority of foreign aid would have to cease, and many trade policies would have to be made equitable or ended altogether (in the case of China, for example). Foreign aid is not an evil in and of itself, since it can be used to help the poor in underdeveloped nations, and we are expected to help the poor as disciples of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 25:35) However, funds rarely make it to that level and are often used to line the pockets of criminal politicians and such charity should begin right here in our own nation. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>War & Resistance</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">War is an unfortunate reality in this world and has been since the earliest records of human history. And while Augustine advanced a Just War theory, and many Christians in various denominations have embraced it throughout history, I have yet to come to a firm conclusion regarding the issue. I know I firmly discourage Christians from joining the military of a secular State for reasons I have previously mentioned, and so I cannot say in good conscience that I believe war, in the modern sense, is “just”. Sacred Scripture provides examples of God commanding the Israelites to wage war on various peoples, I freely admit. (Samuel 15:3; Joshua 4:13) However, I see no indication that God is speaking to modern politicians, many of whom demonstrate they despise Him and His Word, commanding them to go to war for a just cause. Beyond that, it is always the case that the reasons we are given to justify a war are either half-truths or outright lies. Rarely do we ever get told the entire truth of the situation. Sometimes this is legitimately for national security, but as the history of the 20th century has shown, far more often we have been lied to in order to abuse our sense of patriotism. In my current thinking, patriotism is merely seeking the highest good for my country. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I do not want to give the impression that I am a pacifist, or that I eschew all use of force. I do not. However, I have come to the conclusion that as war is often built on lies, and criminal punishments (which include the death penalty) are sometimes found to have been used to murder the innocent, violence in the hands of the State should always be viewed with serious skepticism, though they are granted that authority by God. This does not, however, guarantee a just use of that power. Sometimes the highest good is to refuse the dictates of those in power when they are clearly a violation of the gospel. This transcends the issue of war and applies to civil disobedience as well. (Acts 5:29) When the State seeks to impose laws or mandates on us that violate our conscience or the gospel, we have the duty before God, who is the higher authority to resist. This resistance is not to the authority of the State per se, but to a specific action or legislation of the State which does not seek the highest good of the citizens or assure equal justice. It is essential that in the course of such civil disobedience that the Christian do his best to follow all the laws he can and not use the occasion as a license to violate laws unnecessarily.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-79788842963501108882023-05-23T15:19:00.014-07:002023-07-23T07:03:53.041-07:00The Logos as Ordering Principle<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyaOiK3k97YC4lR7Kkk09kqxKQKYcK3dvSD7L1UKEeWvAeVxvKoAlPSyDuCOo7UlzTRD_9MySakkLprJnfjID7L51cDrEtNuezXXmLIAlQNM9gSVI13HspIFE_juL6VAjjFEz19Atue9u4avLvJJA3dhOFerrqK6AsceNZXja2KNO_Z0GaG5_szNHHUw/s1800/universe.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyaOiK3k97YC4lR7Kkk09kqxKQKYcK3dvSD7L1UKEeWvAeVxvKoAlPSyDuCOo7UlzTRD_9MySakkLprJnfjID7L51cDrEtNuezXXmLIAlQNM9gSVI13HspIFE_juL6VAjjFEz19Atue9u4avLvJJA3dhOFerrqK6AsceNZXja2KNO_Z0GaG5_szNHHUw/s320/universe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;">The evolutionary model of the origin of the universe, having only the principle of natural selection and natural laws by which nature is governed and human evolution is guided, has no objective guiding foundation for order in the universe. Natural selection is not an ordering principle in and of itself, nor does “natural order" meet the demands for a guiding principle. The logical result of this lack of ordering principle is that the Atheistic and Theistic evolutionist alike cannot account for order in the universe. The reality is that the cosmos indeed demonstrates order, harmony and beauty. This is so due to what the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus (among many others) called the Logos, the ordering principle of the cosmos. The concept of the Logos is familiar to Christians, as the Apostles John, who resided at Ephesus for a significant portion of his life and was likely familiar with the works of Heraclitus<span style="font-size: x-small;">1</span>, employs the term in the opening verses of the gospel bearing his name. This Logos is not simply a natural force but is a transcendent person with the attributes of intellect and will by which the cosmos was created and is guided. Church Father Justin Martyr correctly referred to this as the Logos Spermatikos, the universal source of order found in all things. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Natural Selection and Natural Order </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Natural Selection is a theory proposed by Charles Darwin in his On the Origin of the Species in 1869<span style="font-size: x-small;">2</span> that states in brief that organisms which are best adapted to their environment survive and reproduce successfully, while those that do not will eventually reach extinction. It is further claimed that this process accounts for human evolution; that is, the idea of molecules to the homo sapien. In reality, natural selection does not at all support what the Atheistic Naturalist suggests. In order for natural selection to change one species into another it would have to possess the ability to introduce new information to the genetic code of any given thing. However, we know that when animals mate the offspring always lose genetic information, not gain it. Contrary to the claims of proponents of human evolutionary theory, natural selection has been observed merely to ensure that organisms possessing certain characteristics are able to survive in an environment that other organisms not possessing those characteristics cannot. In other words, natural selection works with the genetic information already present in the organism. It does not introduce new information which would be necessary to move a species to become an entirely different species. The model of molecules to homo sapiens demands directional change. That is, observable natural selection demonstrates that it is a non-directional process that does nothing to protect a species when the environment it has adapted to changes, leaving the previously adapted species vulnerable and likely to go extinct due to a previous loss of genetic information.<span style="font-size: x-small;">3</span> Thus, it cannot fit the model of human evolutionary theory, leaving the theory without a means by which to meet the proposed end, since natural selection would of necessity need to be directional. In order to get around this lack of directional force, the proponent of human evolution will sometimes invoke a nebulous concept of natural order; that is, an unseen natural force inherent within the cosmos that serves as the cause and guide. But such a rebuttal to our criticism of human evolutionary theory offers us nothing of substance, since that natural order too would require the same intelligent cause for the means to achieve its goal. All the advocate of human evolution has done is to kick the can down the proverbial road. The early 20th century theologian and apologist, Thomas J. Walshe, agrees with this assessment, offering the following syllogism <span style="font-size: x-small;">4</span>:</div></span><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">1. Unintelligent instruments can be uniformly directed to an end only by an intelligent cause. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">2. The unintelligent instruments of nature are uniformly directed to an end. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">3. The instruments are therefore directed by an intelligent cause.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This demands that any discussion of order in nature must in turn recognize that mere chance does not fit the criteria for either natural order nor natural selection. It is a logical absurdity to suggest otherwise. Chance cannot guide anything to an intelligent end as it is by nature random. The abuse of the fact of natural selection or the concept of natural order, used to bolster human evolutionary theory, is simply not tenable as a result. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">While the Christian might view the notion of human evolution as an innocuous theory, it carries with it some very frightening implications when followed to its logical end. For example, it would render the Creator weaker than the process of evolution itself, since the evidence would demonstrate that He had to create humanity through a process that includes many inferior, and therefore discarded, races of human before He could legitimately say His creation was very good. It would mean those homo sapiens that survived in the human family did so solely due to changes in physical ability, intellect, and the gradual evolution of one race of humans to a state superior to others. This in turn implies that even among those races that survived, there are superior and inferior races, since not every race of humans has achieved the same level of scientific, medical, industrial and architectural success. For example, if we compare the cultural heights and scientific discoveries of Western European peoples to that of the Aborigine before contact with Western European culture, we see a marked distinction. This logically indicates that, if indeed human evolution is true, some races are inferior to others, since they are either intellectually incapable of achieving similar breakthroughs (a trait passed down to their descendants) or are simply too lazy to do so. Interestingly, this theory, born of human evolutionary theory, gave rise to the pseudo-science of eugenics. Eugenics is defined as “the selection of desired characteristics in order to improve future generations”.<span style="font-size: x-small;">5</span> As we know from history, the proponents of eugenics, when they have gained power or influence, have had devastating results for humanity. One need only point to the racial laws of the National Socialists, who reasoned that some races were inferior and that the mentally ill and handicapped could never be productive or enjoy a fulfilling life, and thus developed “racial hygiene” laws by which these people were used in medical experiments, sterilized, forbidden to marry and even outright exterminated. Closer to home, we can point to Margaret Sanger, the founder of the infamous Planned Parenthood organization, who stated her goal in advancing abortion was to cleanse society of the very same people the National Socialists targeted.<span style="font-size: x-small;">6</span> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Invoking natural order does nothing to address the logical problems inherent to human evolutionary theory, nor does it do anything to address how order, which is clearly witnessed throughout the universe, came from pure chance, since even the atheistic concept of natural order would be subject to it. Worse yet, it leaves the advocate of evolutionary theory in general at a loss to explain how order can arise quite literally from nothing. There must be an ordering principle that is transcendental to nature, and therefore not ruled by it like some sort of demiurge<span style="font-size: x-small;">7</span> as required by evolutionary theory. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Theistic Evolution's Demiurge</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The Theistic Evolution proponent shares the same weakness as his Atheist counterpart, since his god too is lesser than the God of Sacred Scripture. An omnipotent Being has no need of submitting Himself to some nebulous “natural order” as a means of creation. For example, the demiurge of the Theistic evolutionary model proposed by Dr. Timothy A. Stratton, a professor at Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary, does not create as Genesis informs us He did, but instead only “chooses and actualizes” the process of evolution. The model Dr. Stratton proposes is provided for us by one of his proteges and is as follows<span style="font-size: x-small;">8</span>: </p><p style="text-align: justify;">1. God exists and possesses omniscient middle knowledge. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">2. The Big Bang occurs, which is followed by God choosing and actualizing all that follows. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">3. The universe “unfolds”. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">4. The solar system and earth form. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">5. Life evolves according to God's plan. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">6. Homo sapiens evolve as planned. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">7. God “breathes His image” into two of the homo sapiens (a man and woman) who up until now are soulless creatures. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">8. These two homo sapiens are separated from the other, soulless homo sapiens. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">9. They are told not to eat of the fruit of the Tree, or they will die. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">10. They fall, are expelled from Eden and now experience death. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">There is more to the model, but we will focus on the important points listed. Stratton's model seems to imply his god was working from some form of pre-existing matter, upon which his demiurge “actualized” its potential, much as a potter actualizes the potential of clay. This is not the same model we find in Sacred Scripture which speaks of “Creation ex Nihilo”, or creation from nothing. The biblical model is also a creation by divine fiat, or simply by God speaking everything into existence in an instant, and not of “choosing and actualizing”. Stratton also sees the universe as “unfolding”<span style="font-size: x-small;">9</span>, rather than coming into being in an instant by divine fiat. This is where we encounter the problem of death existing before sin, since if the world “unfolds” gradually, then the death and extinction of various species during the evolutionary process would be necessary. This is, of course, a direct contradiction of Sacred Scripture, which clearly states that death entered the world through one man, not as a side effect of the evolutionary process. (Romans 5:12) Death is the result of one man's sin, that man being Adam. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Dr. Stratton advances the theory that once the lesser creatures had evolved to the state of homo sapiens, the demiurge then chose two (one male and one female) and breathed his image into them, making them the first humans-Adam and Eve.<span style="font-size: x-small;">10</span> Up to this point they were not really human, but simply possessed the potential to be human, since they had no soul. So again, what is proposed here is nothing like the biblical model but is really more akin to the magic of the alchemist transmuting lead into gold. The demiurge then separates the single male and female homo sapiens from the soulless homo sapiens and places them in the garden where the rest of the Genesis story plays out. Somehow, homo sapiens have no experience of physical death, though the evolutionary process requires it. Furthermore, even if Stratton believes he has solved this problem by claiming (without a shred of evidence) that these homo sapiens, as a species, had not yet experienced death, he is still facing the glaring problem of death existing in the universe at all, since the apostle Paul is very clear that death entered the world only through the sin of Adam and Eve. This also leaves the glaring problem of the rest of the homo sapiens in the Stratton model. According to his theory, they are physically the same as Adam and Eve, but soulless. His demiurge is content to leave them that way until Cain murders his brother, is exiled and marries one of these soulless homo sapiens. It is only due to Cain's rebellion then that the human race has a soul, since if he had not rebelled the soul would have remained the distinct property of a small family of homo sapiens. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">All of this leads to questions that the Theistic evolutionist simply cannot answer. Why would an omnipotent God choose to be hampered and limited by natural processes? If simplicity and economy of energy are intelligent in the pursuit of any action, why expend so much energy to needlessly wait for a billions of years process? Why choose just two homo sapiens to give them souls? Were the rest of this deity's creatures deemed unworthy somehow? Since they had no soul, were they actually just animals? Does this mean Cain mated with an animal and produced the vast majority of the human race from his offspring? Did their creator not love them? Was this deity simply indifferent? If this sounds like something from a Stanley Kubrick film, that is because it is entirely a work of science fiction wrapped up in a thin veneer of biblical allusions. Yet, these sorts of explanations are what is foisted on uninformed Christians as a way of reconciling the Genesis account of creation with Atheistic Naturalist presuppositions. And even in offering such neo-gnostic absurdities the Theistic evolution proponent still has no ordering principle, since the demiurge is still bound on some level to the natural order invoked by the Atheistic evolution proponent. This worldview is chaotic and as such has more in common with Hesiod's Theogony<span style="font-size: x-small;">11</span> than the divinely revealed will and self-disclosure of God in the Old and New Testaments. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIOTDvBpk5EVUWastBhblaYh_PBYLoxvqUP0hqBOyPrlYj0ynG1jVPn-ZLPmOxF-Ue5Y_cArAlmHlCqE3FW66q2m6AGPrwffkMXmq5tZmBMqYTlVmOtZ9f1sc0mfKPEKcAVojHKrPoXLK3mvXzH0ueMn9opXg0bFy9CHVYsXQ-I51mjDpQPzvzyGfTA/s907/Heraclitus.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="907" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIOTDvBpk5EVUWastBhblaYh_PBYLoxvqUP0hqBOyPrlYj0ynG1jVPn-ZLPmOxF-Ue5Y_cArAlmHlCqE3FW66q2m6AGPrwffkMXmq5tZmBMqYTlVmOtZ9f1sc0mfKPEKcAVojHKrPoXLK3mvXzH0ueMn9opXg0bFy9CHVYsXQ-I51mjDpQPzvzyGfTA/w320-h217/Heraclitus.jpg" title="Heraclitus c. 500 B.C." width="320" /></a></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Disastrous Results</b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We can see the results of this chaotic worldview in the cultures of the West today, where it is most prevalent. Young people have largely abandoned faith and replaced it with political activism, mostly Leftist radical extremism. They have grown to hate their country, hate their leaders, hate their schools, hate their parents and even hate themselves. Cultural Marxism has become their religion, whether knowingly or unknowingly, and they have followed it to its logical end-nihilism. Racism is on the rise, with Blacks becoming militantly anti-White and the current culture reviles Whites, blaming them collectively for every social ill in history. Again, these are always the logical result of evolutionary thinking, as it removes the God of the Bible from public discourse, undermines the concepts of objective truth and morality and leaves people with nothing more than a cold, brutal nature in which life has no meaning. When this occurs, people invent artificial meaning through sociopolitical activism. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Logos </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It is our contention as Christians that there is indeed an ordering principle at work in the cosmos, by which everything was created and through which everything is sustained. We call this ordering principle the Logos. The word Logos is Greek and means several things. It means word, speech, reason, principle, and order. In the realm of classical Greek philosophy, it refers to the divine power and reason that brings order to the cosmos. These definitions are important to our understanding of the world in which we live. Unlike the advocate of Atheism and human evolutionary theory, we understand that the universe has inherent meaning, and that we humans too have inherent meaning and purpose as a matter of our very nature. The Atheist cannot say this, since any meaning he would assign his existence would be purely subjective and arbitrary, if he were to be consistent with his worldview. If the birth of humanity is simply a matter of chance, and there is no omnipotent Creator, then it logically follows that human existence has no meaning. We are just the random product of a cold, natural process which will ultimately be extinguished as its energy depletes itself and ends in utter darkness. Any Atheist who has the audacity to assign meaning to life in such a model is lying to themselves. We, however, know that life has meaning, and that this meaning comes to us through the Logos. The opening line of the Gospel according to John is a truly incredible statement. He writes, </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the Light of all mankind.” -John 1:1-4</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBIRsKnj3NA2vbMbYU26Craq6qynnBAqvAkNTwsy6N_ruOKA5GqHzyap-Akey1KJFqlYH0k9nPPy4r1cci9ikYi28SNFicP1D2RQSrFrtxL850ByZJjrj5B1ac4lv5MXi46RTIQN0OebhvfB9GSGI9FPSawVREbfapHhMAB9lEsFh3sMh5WGDOnN6PQ/s6298/4bf7a14402e839a659f097804941ff4c.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6298" data-original-width="2235" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBIRsKnj3NA2vbMbYU26Craq6qynnBAqvAkNTwsy6N_ruOKA5GqHzyap-Akey1KJFqlYH0k9nPPy4r1cci9ikYi28SNFicP1D2RQSrFrtxL850ByZJjrj5B1ac4lv5MXi46RTIQN0OebhvfB9GSGI9FPSawVREbfapHhMAB9lEsFh3sMh5WGDOnN6PQ/w143-h400/4bf7a14402e839a659f097804941ff4c.jpg" width="143" /></a></b></div><b>The Logos is a Person</b><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Our scriptures translate the Logos as “the Word”. However, the word Logos also carries the meaning of order, so the apostle is informing us that order existed from the beginning. The apostle did not say “in the beginning was chance”, nor “in the beginning was natural order”, as in an impersonal force inherent to nature and governed by chance, but instead informs us that order existed in the beginning and that, furthermore, order was with God, and this order was God. In other words, the ordering principle of the universe is not an impersonal force, but a divine Person. While modern man seeks to deconstruct or simply deny the existence of order in the world, classical Greek philosophers attempted to understand their world and their own place in it, recognizing that there is order evidenced throughout it and thus, order implied purpose. The apostle John's use of the word Logos is important, since it demonstrates that he understood what the philosophers strained to comprehend. His use of the concept of the Logos refutes entirely the notion that the universe and humanity are the product of blind impersonal forces, or even of a demiurge bound by those same forces, but is an omnipotent, transcendent Creator God who through His word alone brought all things into existence. And because everything was created through the divine Person of the Logos, everything has meaning and purpose. He is the ordering principle that sets in motion natural forces and guides them to a good end. The Logos is, as we know, Jesus Christ. This has been the historic understanding of the church, as is evidenced in the writings of the various Church Fathers. For example: </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Son of God is the Logos of the Father, in idea and in operation. For all things were made after the pattern of Him and by Him...the Understanding and the Reason of the Father.-Athenagoras</b><span style="font-size: x-small;">12</span> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Among the Greeks, there is one definition of logos which means “the principle that thinks.” There is also another definition that means “the instrument by means of which thought is expressed...But God is Mind and all Logos.”-Irenaeus</b><span style="font-size: x-small;">13</span> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>He is also called the Logos, because He takes away from us all that is irrational and makes us truly reasonable.-Origen</b><span style="font-size: x-small;">14</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Logos as Moral Law Giver </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The Logos orders nature by natural laws, and humanity by moral and spiritual laws. The fact that all humans have an instinctual moral sense is evidence of order. We can reason that, if objective moral laws exist, then they must come from an objective source. That source certainly cannot be human cultures, as we see incredible variances and disagreements from one culture to the next as to what is truly good and moral. And yet, we all share some universal moral principles that we are born “hard wired” with. They work in our conscience from the time we are children. A mother tells her child not to get any cookies from the cookie jar, but the child sneaks into the kitchen and does so anyway. When the child's mother catches him, he instinctively knows he did something wrong and hides the hand with the cookie in it. The fact that we should obey our parents is built into us, as it were, as part of our very created nature. Likewise, we all share the universal moral precepts that murder, theft, adultery, child abuse, racial hatred, and a host of other social problems are moral evils. This universal moral sense cannot come from nature, since the “survival of the fittest” holds no place for moralizing. All that really matters is survival, and by whatever means necessary. Therefore, the concept of natural order cannot be the source of the moral sense. This indicates that, since these moral principles are indeed universal and objectively true, the source of these morals must be the absolute objective moral law Giver. Moral laws speak to order, not to chance. They are, then, laws guiding the conduct of humanity created as an integral part of our being by the divine Logos, who we were created through and to Whose image we are to be conformed. Part of this conformity is in ordering our lives after the perfect life of the Logos. These moral principles are in a sense the natural law by which we are to order our lives, not the misapplication of natural selection applied to human evolutionary theory. Even the pagan philosophers understood this, though in a crude form. For example, Marcus Aurelius wrote that the Logos “extends through the whole of matter, governing the universe for all eternity..”<span style="font-size: x-small;">15</span> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Atheist Moralizing is Groundless</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It is interesting to note that, though Atheists will argue for human evolutionary theory, which we have seen does not possess and ordering principle, they will also engage in social and political discussion wherein they demand that any given legislation or personality be held responsible to one or more of the moral principles. One common example is the Holocaust, which Atheists like to blame on Christians, and which they rightly proclaim a crime against humanity and a moral evil. The problem they face is that, since their worldview requires them to view all moral principles and precepts to be subjective, they are merely the prevailing opinion of any given culture at a given period in their history. For such radical naturalists, morality is fluid and can change. Indeed, we have even been told by some of their more politically active compatriots that we cannot judge other cultures by our standards. So, any talk of the Aztecs slaughtering innocents as sacrifices to their pagan gods is simply our cultural arrogance imposing our moral precepts on that culture. And yet, this is exactly what they do with regard to such issues as the Holocaust. The laws of Germany under the National Socialists permitted the sterilizations and medical murders of the mentally ill, handicapped, and perceived racially inferior peoples. In fact, the prevailing culture of that time, both in Germany and in the United States, was that eugenics was a morally upright science. There were many eugenics societies in the United States that held conferences, wrote peer reviewed papers, etc. So, we can say that the actions of the National Socialists were very much in keeping with the moral values of many Germans, as well as being quite legal, and so the advocate of human evolution has no objective foundation whereby to posit his moral judgments on that culture in that time period. They are forced to admit that there are universally objective moral principles if they wish to criticize the National Socialists, which means they have to violate their own worldview and admit that there is something more than human culture and natural selection at work in the universe. They are forced to disagree with their current spokesperson, Richard Dawkins, albeit grudgingly, who accurately and honestly wrote: </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>In a universe of electrons and selfish genes, blind physical forces and genetic replication, some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky, and you won't find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice. The universe that we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference.</i><span style="font-size: x-small;">16 </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Dawkins is not a madman (well...maybe) but is simply following the evolutionary model to its logical conclusion, which is that, in this model, there is no room for morality or purpose. He goes on to say: </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Nature is not cruel, only pitilessly indifferent. This is one of the hardest lessons for humans to learn. We cannot admit that things might be neither good nor evil, neither cruel nor kind, but simply callous indifference to all suffering, lacking all purpose.</i> <span style="font-size: x-small;">17</span> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">And yet, when confronted with immorality or human evils, such as the Holocaust and racial hygiene laws of National Socialist Germany, suddenly, the cold, pitiless force of nature gives way to something transcendental. The Atheist will almost always argue for a moral absolute in such cases. And that is good. It means they recognize in their conscience the demands of the Logos for them to meet the moral good. As such, their arguing that any given legislation or historical event is good or evil is really an argument for the Logos, and thus, for order undermining the very worldview they seek to defend and propagate. The innate sense of right and wrong, good and evil is evidence of order guided by something transcendental to the material world, having the power to create within us this moral sensibility. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Undermining Truth</b> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">When Christians undermine the truth of Sacred Scripture and undermine this ordering principle by attempting to force upon the Genesis account of creation a model that at its very core is hostile to, and contradicts on multiple levels, the divinely revealed history of creation and our first parents (Adam and Eve), they find themselves rejecting the Creator God and Jesus Christ, the Logos revealed in Sacred Scripture. In fact, they reject the underlying reason and meaning of history and of human life, since it only possesses meaning, reason, intelligence and purpose if indeed the totality of creation is divinely imbued with those characteristics by the absolute source-the Logos. Christ, as the Logos, does not merely possess these qualities, as we do, but Christ is these qualities. He is reason, purpose, order, beauty, intellect, love, joy, and all the other myriad characteristics that make all life possible. These are the energeia<span style="font-size: x-small;">18</span> of the Logos, His action in the cosmos, found in various measure in all of creation-that Logos Spermatikos of Justin Martyr. (Hebrews 1:3) He has manifest order by sharing with the created world the various characteristics that He is by His ousia<span style="font-size: x-small;">19</span>, and we participate in by His act of creation as detailed in Genesis. Everything, then, is made intelligible and ordered by the Logos. In a sense, it is these energeia in human history that permit us to have a relationship with the Logos, Who would otherwise be incomprehensible in His infinite ousia to the finite mind. (John 1:18) It is the energeia, the very actions of the Logos in the creative act, that permit the apostle Paul to write in Romans 1:19-20: For what can be known of God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes (ousia), namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. (energeia) So they are without excuse. Indeed, the proponent of evolutionary theory, whether Atheist or Theist, has no real excuse for not recognizing the reality that neither model offers an ordering principle, and that only the Genesis account of creation provides a reasonable, logical framework for understanding the origin of the cosmos and all life in it. Christ the Logos is that ordering principle, who not only imbues the world with order and meaning, but entered into the very experience of humanity to provide a means by which we can more fully experience our purpose in a relationship with our Creator.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1 Heraclitus was a native of Ephesus c. 500 BC, making it quite possible that the apostle encountered his works or thought. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2 The first use of the theory appeared in the 5th edition of On the Origin of the Species, published in 1869, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica entry Survival of the Fittest.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">3 Purdom, Georgia Dr., Is Natural Selection the Same Thing as Evolution?, (2008) Answers in Genesis</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> 4 Walshe, Thomas Joseph, The Principles of Christian Apologetics (1919), p.44</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">5 Encyclopedia Britannica entry Eugenics</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">6 Margaret Sanger, 1939 letter to Dr. C.J. Gamble. “We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population, and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members,” </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">7 A spiritual being that is merely a craftsman of a sort, and not an omnipotent deity. In Gnostic philosophy the demiurge is not the same as a Creator who brings the world into existence by divine fiat, but is itself a contingent being, sharing the same qualities as matter.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">8 Evan Minton, If Evolution Were True, What Would Happen to Adam and Eve?”, crossexamined.org </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">9 Ibid.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">10 Ibid.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">11 Hesiod, Greek poet (750-650 BC), wrote in his Theogony that before the birth of the gods everything was chaos.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">12 A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs, p. 405, (1998) Hendrickson Publishers </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">13 Ibid. p. 405 </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">14 Ibid. p. 405</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">15 Marcus Arelius, Meditations, 5.32.2</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">16 Dawkins, Richard, River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life, (1996) Basic Books </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">17 Ibid.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">18 A term borrowed from Aristotle's metaphysics and applied to Christian theology with the meaning “divine energies which are the power that transitions the Christian as he/she lives in accord with the divine will.” It also carries the meaning of “action”, speaking of the action of God in human history. It is through these actions that we are able to have a relationship with a transcendent God. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">19 A term borrowed from Classical Greek philosophy meaning “divine essence”. Here it is used to indicate the transcendental nature of God which is unseen by humanity.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-75483232089016965202023-05-18T08:51:00.000-07:002023-05-18T08:51:16.925-07:00Tertullian: On the Apparel of Women<p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGVTC4vMiOD-1n-M0Yg14VbuW1KrRMuWxrGWRNhwhUjAD8fV8QFnIBdgarAl1mjkUBSts1DkFiMfpphGv2oRV6ZwcXPlFNQ1z4NLPteIr-QPz1MRg7UZFm_k02fdzyCPveLVJAyT1ZWkXaqWSU_FSl4WA2X0fFmAMBL2pApTkReK2gqSqDIxSXlt0_Q/s667/f3c8650c585e2cfa17e4291f7c8e0f8a--muslim-fashion-hijab-fashion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGVTC4vMiOD-1n-M0Yg14VbuW1KrRMuWxrGWRNhwhUjAD8fV8QFnIBdgarAl1mjkUBSts1DkFiMfpphGv2oRV6ZwcXPlFNQ1z4NLPteIr-QPz1MRg7UZFm_k02fdzyCPveLVJAyT1ZWkXaqWSU_FSl4WA2X0fFmAMBL2pApTkReK2gqSqDIxSXlt0_Q/s320/f3c8650c585e2cfa17e4291f7c8e0f8a--muslim-fashion-hijab-fashion.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If there dwelt upon earth a faith as great as is the reward of faith which is expected in the heavens, no one of you at all, best beloved sisters, from the time that she had first "known the Lord," and learned the truth concerning her own (that is, woman's) condition, would have desired too gladsome (not to say too ostentatious) a style of dress; so as not rather to go about in humble garb, and rather to affect meanness of appearance, walking about as Eve mourning and repentant, in order that by every garb of penitence she might the more fully expiate that which she derives from Eve-the ignominy, I mean, of the first sin, and the odium attaching to her as the cause of human perdition. "In pains and in anxieties dost thou bear children, woman; and toward thine husband thy inclination, and he lords It over thee." And do you not know that you are each an Eve? The sentence of God on this sex of yours lives in this age: the guilt must of necessity live too. You are the devil's gateway: you are the unsealer of that forbidden tree: you are the first deserter of the divine law: you are she who persuaded him whom the devil was not valiant enough to attack. You destroyed so easily God's image, man. On account of your desert--that is, death--even the Son of God had to die. And do you think about adorning yourself over and above your tunics of skins? Come, now; if from the beginning of the world the Milesians sheared sheep, and the Serians spun trees, and the Tyrians dyed, and the Phrygians embroidered with the needle, and the Babylonians with the loom, and pearls gleamed, and onyx-stones flashed; if gold itself also had already issued, with the cupidity which accompanies it, from the ground; if the mirror, too, already had license to lie so largely, Eve, expelled from paradise, Eve already dead, would also have coveted these things, I imagine! No more, then, ought she now to crave, or be acquainted with (if she desires to live again), what, when she was living, she had neither had nor known. </span>Accordingly,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> these things are all the baggage of woman in her condemned and dead state, instituted as if to swell the pomp of her funeral.</span></span></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><b>The Origin of Feminine Allures</b></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For they, withal, who instituted them are assigned, under condemnation, to the penalty of death-those angels, to wit, who rushed from heaven on the daughters of men; so that this ignominy also attaches to woman. For when to an age much more ignorant than ours they had disclosed certain well-concealed material substances, and several not well-revealed scientific arts--if it is true that they had laid bare the operations of metallurgy, and had divulged the natural properties of herbs, and had promulgated the powers of enchantments, and had traced out every curious art, even to the interpretation of the stars--they conferred properly and as it were peculiarly upon women that instrumental mean of womanly ostentation, the radiances of jewels wherewith necklaces are variegated, and the circlets of gold wherewith the arms are compressed, and the medicaments of orchil with which wools are colored, and that black powder itself wherewith the eyelids and eyelashes are made prominent. What is the quality of these things may be declared meantime, even at this point, from the quality and condition of their teachers: in that sinners could never have either shown or supplied anything conducive to integrity, unlawful lovers anything conducive to chastity, renegade spirits anything conducive to the fear of God. If these things are to be called teachings, ill masters must of necessity have taught ill; if as wages of lust, there is nothing base of which the wages are honorable. But why was it of so much importance to show these things as well as to confer them? Was it that women, without material causes of splendor, and without ingenious contrivances of grace, could not please men, who, while still unadorned, and uncouth and--so to say--crude and rude, had moved the mind of angels? or was it that the lovers would appear sordid and--through gratuitous use--contumelious, if they had conferred no compensating gift on the women who had been enticed into connubial connection with them? But these questions admit of no calculation. Women who possessed angels as husbands could desire nothing more; they had, forsooth, made a grand match! Assuredly they who, of course, did sometimes think whence they had fallen, and, after the heated impulses of their lusts, looked up toward heaven, thus requited that very excellence of women, natural beauty, as having proved a cause of evil, in order that their good fortune might profit them nothing; but that, being turned from simplicity and sincerity, they, together with the angels themselves, might become offensive to God. </span>Sure,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> they were that all ostentation, and ambition, and love of pleasing by carnal means, was displeasing to God. And these are the angels whom we are destined to judge: these are the angels whom in baptism we renounce: these, of course, are the reasons why they have deserved to be judged by man. What business, then, have their things with their judges? What commerce have they who are to condemn with them who are to be condemned? The same, I take it, as Christ has with Belial. With what consistency do we mount that (future) judgment-seat to pronounce sentence against those whose gifts we now seek after? For you too, (women as you are,) have the self-same angelic nature promised as your reward, the self-same sex as men: the self-same advancement to the dignity of judging, does the Lord promise you. </span>Unless<span style="font-family: inherit;"> then, we begin even here to prejudge, by pre-condemning their things, which we are hereafter to condemn in themselves, they will rather judge and condemn us.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><b>The Legitimacy of Enoch</b></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am aware that the Scripture of Enoch, which has assigned this order of action to angels, is not received by some, because it is not admitted into the Jewish canon either. I suppose they did not think </span>that<span style="font-family: inherit;"> having been published before the deluge, it could have safely survived that world-wide calamity, the abolisher of all things. If that is the reason for rejecting it, let them recall to their memory that Noah, the survivor of the deluge, was the great-grandson of Enoch himself; and he, of course, had heard and remembered, from domestic renown and hereditary tradition, concerning his own great-grandfather's "grace in the sight of God," and concerning all his </span>preaching<span style="font-family: inherit;">; since Enoch had given no other charge to Methuselah than that he should hand on the knowledge of them to his posterity. </span>Noah,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> therefore, no doubt, might have succeeded in the trusteeship of his preaching; or, had the case been otherwise, he would not have been silent alike concerning the disposition of things made by God, his Preserver, and concerning the particular glory of his own house.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If Noah had not had this conservative power by so short a route, there would still be this (consideration) to warrant our assertion of the genuineness of this Scripture: he could equally have renewed it, under the Spirit's inspiration, after it had been destroyed by the violence of the deluge, as, after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian storming of it, every document of the Jewish literature is generally agreed to have been restored through Ezra.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But since Enoch in the same Scripture has preached likewise concerning the Lord, nothing at all must be rejected by us which pertains to us; and we read that "every Scripture suitable for edification is divinely inspired. By the yews it may now seem to have been rejected for that very reason, just like all the other portions nearly which tell of Christ. Nor, of course, is this fact wonderful, that they did not receive some Scriptures which spoke of Him whom even in person, speaking in their presence, they were not to receive. To these considerations is added the fact that Enoch possesses a testimony in the Apostle Jude.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><b>Female Habit</b></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Grant now that no mark of pre-condemnation has been branded on womanly pomp by the fact of the fate of its authors; let nothing be imputed to those angels besides their repudiation of heaven and their carnal marriage: let us examine the qualities of the things themselves, in order that we may detect the purposes also for which they are eagerly desired.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Female habit carries with it a twofold idea-dress and ornament. By "dress" we mean what they call "womanly gracing;" by "ornament," what it is suitable should be called "womanly disgracing." The former is accounted to consist in gold, and silver, and gems, and garments; the latter in care of the hair, and of the skin, and of those parts of the body which attract the eye. Against the one we lay the charge of ambition, against the other of prostitution; so that even from this early stage (of our discussion) you may look forward and see what, out of all these, is suitable, handmaid of God, to your discipline, inasmuch as you are assessed on different principles from other women-those, namely, of humility and chastity.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><b>Gold and Silver</b></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Gold and silver, the principal material causes of worldly splendor, must necessarily be identical in nature with that out of which they have their being: they must be earth, that is; which earth itself is plainly more glorious than they, inasmuch as it is only after it has been tearfully wrought by penal labor in the deadly laboratories of accursed mines, and there left its name of "earth" in the fire behind it, that, as a fugitive from the mine, it passes from torments to ornaments, from punishments to embellishments, from ignominies to honors. But iron, and brass, and other the vilest material substances, enjoy a parity of condition with silver and gold, both as to earthly origin and metallurgic operation; in order that, in the estimation of nature, the substance of gold and of silver may be judged not a whit more noble than theirs. But if it is from the quality of utility that gold and silver derive their glory, why, iron and brass excel them; whose usefulness is so disposed by the Creator, that they not only discharge functions of their own more numerous and more necessary to human affairs, but do also none the less serve the turn of gold and silver, by dint of their own powers, in the service of more just causes. For not only are rings made of iron, but the memory of antiquity still preserves the fame of certain vessels for eating and drinking made out of brass. Let the insane plenteousness of gold and silver look to it, if it serves to make utensils even for foul purposes. At all events, neither is the field tilled by means of gold, nor the ship fastened together by the strength of silver. No mattock plunges a golden edge into the ground; no nail drives a silver point into planks. I leave unnoticed the fact that the needs of our whole life are dependent upon iron and brass; whereas those rich materials themselves, requiring both to be dug up out of mines, and needing a forging process in every use (to which they are put), are helpless without the laborious vigor of iron and brass. Already, therefore, we must judge whence it is that so high dignity accrues to gold and silver, since they get precedence over material substances which are not only cousin-german to them in point of origin, but more powerful in point of usefulness.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><b>Jewels</b></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But, in the next place, what am I to interpret those jewels to be which vie with gold in haughtiness, except little pebbles and stones and paltry particles of the self-same earth; but yet not necessary either for laying down foundations, or rearing party-walls, or supporting pediments, or giving density to roofs? The only edifice which they know how to rear is this silly pride of women: because they require slow rubbing that they may shine, and artful underlaying that they may show to advantage, and careful piercing that they may hang; and (because they) render to gold a mutual assistance in meretricious allurement. But whatever it is that ambition fishes up from the British or the Indian sea, it is a kind of conch not more pleasing in savor than--I do not say the oyster and the sea-snail, but-even the giant muscle. For let me add that I know conchs which axe sweet fruits of the sea. But if that foreign conch suffers from some internal pustule, that ought to be regarded rather as its defect than as its glory; and although it be called "pearl," still something else must be understood than some hard, round excrescence of the fish. Some say, too, that gems are culled from the foreheads of dragons, just as in the brains of fishes there is a certain stony substance. This also was wanting to the Christian woman, that she may add a grace to herself from the serpent! Is it thus that she will set her heel on the devil's head," while she heaps ornaments taken from his head on her own neck, or on her very head?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLL5N6KNMRt-mpStR9SQNXQ-N3fLRBzgacBbcrMgE5wvHsc30HGN6RV5UJitaz3hSv5OUmTlFEvV--9YIjcUh7CHUPGoVDnvg8FI7ivxuapiJ4FNr76zw-jzKJPKuR4abvCC_Qm94KC7Mhhpg87UQx2SOoavWGfgU1Q4auDo31Dd5u8mACWPt5JTaukQ/s610/9bcd886a285e245b604c224744bcba07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLL5N6KNMRt-mpStR9SQNXQ-N3fLRBzgacBbcrMgE5wvHsc30HGN6RV5UJitaz3hSv5OUmTlFEvV--9YIjcUh7CHUPGoVDnvg8FI7ivxuapiJ4FNr76zw-jzKJPKuR4abvCC_Qm94KC7Mhhpg87UQx2SOoavWGfgU1Q4auDo31Dd5u8mACWPt5JTaukQ/s320/9bcd886a285e245b604c224744bcba07.jpg" width="262" /></a></b></div><b><br />Valuable?</b><p></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is only from their rarity and outlandishness that all these things possess their grace; in short, within their own native limits they are not held of so high worth. Abundance is always contumelious toward itself. There are some barbarians with whom, because gold is indigenous and plentiful, it is customary to keep the criminals in their convict establishments chained with gold, and to lade the wicked with riches--the more guilty, the </span>wealthier<span style="font-family: inherit;">. At </span>last,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> there has really been found a way to prevent even gold from being loved! We have also seen at Rome the nobility of gems blushing in the presence of our matrons at the contemptuous usage of the Parthians and Medes, and the rest of their own fellow-countrymen, only that their gems are not generally worn with a view to ostentation. Emeralds lurk in their belts; and the sword that hangs below their bosom alone is witness to the cylindrical stones that decorate its hilt; and the massive single pearls on their boots are fain to get lifted out of the mud! In short, they carry nothing so richly gemmed as that which ought not to be gemmed if it is either not conspicuous, or else is conspicuous only that it may be shown to be also neglected.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><b>Color</b></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Similarly, too, do even the servants of those barbarians cause the glory to fade from the </span>colors<span style="font-family: inherit;"> of our garments by wearing the like; nay, even their party-walls use slightingly, to supply the place of painting, the Tyrian and the violet-</span>colored<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and the grand royal hangings, which you laboriously undo and metamorphose. Purple with them is more paltry than red ochre; and justly, for what legitimate </span>honor<span style="font-family: inherit;"> can garments derive from adulteration with illegitimate </span>colors<span style="font-family: inherit;">? That which He Himself has not produced is not pleasing to God, unless He was unable to order sheep to be born with purple and sky-blue fleeces! If He was able, then plainly He was </span>unwilling<span style="font-family: inherit;"> what God willed not, of course ought not to be fashioned. Those things, then, are not the best by nature which are not from God, the Author of nature. </span>Thus,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> they are understood to be from the devil, from the corrupter of nature: for there is no other whose they can be, if they are not </span>God's,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> because what are not God's must necessarily be His rival's. But, beside the devil and his angels, other rival of God there is none. Again, if the material substances are of God, it does not immediately follow that such ways of enjoying them among men are so too. It is matter for inquiry not only whence come conchs, but what sphere of embellishment is assigned them, and where it is that they exhibit their beauty. For all those profane pleasures of worldly shows--as we have already published a volume of their own about them-yes, and even idolatry itself, derive their material causes from the creatures of God. Yet a Christian ought not to attach himself to the frenzies of the racecourse, or the atrocities of the arena, or the turpitudes of the stage, simply because God has given to man the horse, and the panther, and the power of speech: just as a Christian cannot commit idolatry with impunity either, because the incense, and the wine, and the fire which feeds thereon, and the animals which are made the victims, are God's workmanship; since even the material thing which is adored is God's creature. Thus then, too, with regard to their active use, does the origin of the material substances, which descends from God, excuse that use as foreign to God, as guilty forsooth of worldly glory!</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><b>Control Yourself</b></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For, as some particular things distributed by God over certain individual lands, and some one particular tract of sea, are mutually foreign one to the other, they are reciprocally either neglected or desired: desired among foreigners, as being rarities; neglected rightly, if anywhere, among their own compatriots, because in them there is no such fervid longing for a glory which, among its own home-folk, is frigid. But, however, the rareness and outlandishness which arise out of that distribution of possessions which God has ordered as He willed, ever finding </span>favor<span style="font-family: inherit;"> in the eyes of strangers, excites, from the simple fact of not having what God has made native to other places, the concupiscence of having it. Hence is educed another vice--that of immoderate having; because although, perhaps, having may be permissible, still a limit is bound to be observed. This second vice will be ambition; and hence, too, its name is to be interpreted, in that from concupiscence ambient in the mind it is born, with a view to the desire of glory-a grand desire, forsooth, which as we have said is recommended neither by nature nor by truth, but by a vicious passion of the mind-namely concupiscence. And there are other vices connected with ambition and glory. </span>Thus,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> they have withal enhanced the cost of things, in order that thereby they might add fuel to themselves also; for concupiscence becomes proportionably greater as it has set a higher value upon the thing which it has eagerly desired. From the smallest caskets is produced an ample patrimony. On a single thread is suspended a million of sesterces. One delicate neck carries about it forests and islands. The slender lobes of the ears exhaust a fortune; and the left hand, with its every finger, sports with several </span>moneybags<span style="font-family: inherit;">. Such is the strength of ambition-equal to bearing on one small body, and that a woman's, the product of so copious wealth:</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><b>Be Modest</b></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Handmaids of the living God, my fellow-servants and sisters, the right which I enjoy with you-I, the most mean in that right of fellow-servantship and brotherhood-emboldens me to address to you a discourse, not, of course, of affection, but paving the way for affection in the cause of your salvation. That salvation--and not the salvation of women only, but likewise of men-consists in the exhibition principally of modesty. For since, by the introduction into an appropriation for us of the Holy Spirit, we are all "the temple of God." Modesty is the sacristan and priestess of that temple, who is to suffer nothing unclean or profane to be introduced into it, for fear that the God who inhabits it should be offended, and quite forsake the polluted abode. But on the present occasion we are to speak not about modesty, for the enjoining and exacting of which the divine precepts which press upon us on every side are sufficient; but about the matters which pertain to it, that is, the manner in which it behooves you to walk. For most women (which very thing I trust God may permit me, with a view, of course, to my own personal censure, to censure in all), either from simple ignorance or else from dissimulation, have the hardihood so to walk as if modesty consisted only in the bare integrity of the flesh, and in turning away from actual fornication; and there were no need for anything extrinsic to boot-in the matter I mean of the arrangement of dress and ornament, the studied graces of form and brilliance-wearing in their gait the self-same appearance as the women of the nations, from whom the sense of true modesty is absent, because in those who know not God, the Guardian and Master of truth, there is nothing true. For if any modesty can be believed to exist in Gentiles, it is plain that it must be imperfect and undisciplined to such a degree that, although it be actively tenacious of itself in the mind up to a certain point, it yet allows itself to relax into licentious extravagances of attire; just in accordance with Gentile perversity, in craving after that of which it carefully shuns the effect. How many a one, in short, is there who does not earnestly desire even to look pleasing to strangers? who does not on that very account take care to have herself painted out, and denies that she has ever been an object of carnal appetite? And yet, granting that even this is a practice familiar to Gentile modesty-namely, not actually to commit the sin, but still to be willing to do so; or even not to be willing, yet still not quite to refuse-what wonder? For all things which are not God's are perverse. Let those women therefore look to it, who, by not holding fast the whole good, easily mingle with evil even what they do hold fast. Necessary it is that you turn aside from them, as in all other things, so also in your gait; since you ought to be "perfect, as your Father who is in the heavens."</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><b>Don't Tempt Others</b></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You must know that in the eye of perfect, that is, Christian, modesty, carnal desire of one's self on the part of others is not only not to be desired, but even execrated, by you: first, because the study of making personal grace which we know to be naturally the inviter of lust a mean of pleasing does not spring from a sound conscience: why therefore excite toward yourself that evil passion? Why invite that to which you profess yourself a stranger? Secondly, because we ought not to open a way to temptations, which, by their instancy, sometimes achieve a wickedness which God expels from them who are His; or, at all events, put the spirit into a thorough tumult by presenting a stumbling-block to it. We ought indeed to walk so holily, and with so entire substantiality of faith, as to be confident and secure in regard of our own conscience, desiring that that gift may abide in us to the end, yet not presuming that it will. For he who presumes feels less apprehension; he who feels less apprehension takes less precaution; he who takes less precaution runs more risk. Fear is the foundation of salvation; presumption is an impediment to fear. More useful, then, is it to apprehend that we may possibly fail, than to presume that we cannot; for apprehending will lead us to fear, fearing to caution, and caution to salvation. On the other hand, if we presume, there will be neither fear nor caution to save us. He who acts securely, and not at the same time warily, possesses no safe and firm security; whereas he who is wary will be truly able to be secure. For His own servants, may the Lord by His mercy take care that to them it may be lawful even to presume on His goodness! But why are we a source of danger to our neighbor? why do we import concupiscence into our neighbor? which concupiscence, if God, in "amplifying the law," do not dissociate in the way of penalty from the actual commission of fornication, I know not whether He allows impunity to him who has been the cause of perdition to some other. For that other, as soon as he has felt concupiscence after your beauty, and has mentally already committed (the deed) which his concupiscence pointed to, perishes; and you have been made the sword which destroys him: so that, albeit you be free from the actual crime, you are not free from the odium attaching to it; as, when a robbery has been committed on some man's estate, the actual crime indeed will not be laid to the owner's charge, while yet the domain is branded with ignominy, and the owner himself aspersed with the infamy. Are we to paint ourselves out that our neighbors may perish? Where, then, is the command, "Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself?" "Care not merely about your own things, but about your neighbor's?" No enunciation of the Holy Spirit ought to be confined to the subject immediately in hand merely, and not applied and carried out with a view to every occasion to which its application is useful. Since, therefore, both our own interest and that of others is implicated in the studious pursuit of most perilous outward comeliness, it is time for you to know that not merely must the pageantry of fictitious and elaborate beauty be rejected by you; but that of even natural grace must be obliterated by concealment and negligence, as equally dangerous to the glances of the beholder's eyes. For, albeit comeliness is not to be censured, as being a bodily happiness, as being an additional outlay of the divine plastic art, as being a kind of goodly garment of the soul; yet it is to be feared, just on account of the injuriousness and violence of suitors: which injuriousness and violence even the father of the faith, Abraham, greatly feared in regard of his own wife's grace; and Isaac, by falsely representing Rebecca as his sister, purchased safety by insult!</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let it now be granted that excellence of form be not to be feared, as neither troublesome to its possessors, nor destructive to its desirers, nor perilous to its compartners; let it be thought (to be) not exposed to temptations, not surrounded by stumbling-blocks: it is enough that to angels of God it is not necessary. For, where modesty is, there beauty is idle; because properly the use and fruit of beauty is voluptuousness, unless anyone thinks that there is some other harvest for bodily grace to reap. Are women who think that, in furnishing to their neighbor that which is demanded of beauty, they are furnishing it to themselves also, to augment that beauty when naturally given them, and to strive after it when not thus given? Someone will say, "Why, then, if voluptuousness be shut out and chastity let in, may not enjoy the praise of beauty alone, and glory in a bodily good?" Let whoever finds pleasure in "glorying in the flesh" see to that. To us in the first place, there is no studious pursuit of "glory," because "glory" is the essence of exaltation. Now exaltation is incongruous for professors of humility according to God's precepts. Secondly, if all "glory" is "vain" and insensate, how much more (glory) in the flesh, especially to us? For even if "glorying" is allowable, we ought to wish our sphere of pleasing to lie in the graces of the Spirit, not in the flesh; because we are "suitors'' of things spiritual. In those things wherein our sphere of labor lies, let our joy lie. From the sources whence we hope for salvation, let us cull our "glory." Plainly, a Christian will "glory" even in the flesh; but it will be when it has endured laceration for Christ's sake, in order that the spirit may be crowned in it, not in order that it may draw the eyes and sighs of youths after it. Thus, a thing which, from whatever point you look at it, is in your case superfluous, you may justly disdain if you have it not, and neglect if you have. Let a holy woman, if naturally beautiful, give none so great occasion for carnal appetite. Certainly, if even she be so, she ought not to set off (her beauty), but even to obscure it.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Pleasing Your Husband?</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As if I were speaking to Gentiles, addressing you with a Gentile precept, and one which is common to all, I would say, "You are bound to please your husbands only." But you will please them in proportion as you take no care to please others. Be ye without carefulness, blessed sisters: no wife is "ugly" to her own husband. She "pleased" him enough when she was selected by him as his wife; whether commended by form or by character. Let none of you think that, if she abstain from the care of her person, she will incur the hatred and aversion of husbands. Every husband is the exactor of chastity; but beauty, a believing husband does not require, because we are not captivated by the same graces which the Gentiles think to be graces: an unbelieving one, on the other hand, even regards with suspicion, just from that infamous opinion of us which the Gentiles have. For whom, then, is it that you cherish your beauty? If for a believer, he does not exact it: if for an unbeliever, he does not believe in it unless it be artless. Why are you eager to please either one who is suspicious, or else one who desires it not?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><b>Good & Bad Refinement</b></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">These suggestions are not made to you, of course, to be developed into an entire crudity and wildness of appearance; nor are we seeking to persuade you of the good of squalor and slovenliness; but of the limit and norm and just measure of cultivation of the person. There must be no overstepping of that line to which simple and sufficient refinements limit their desires--that line which is pleasing to God. For they who rub their skin with medicaments, stain their cheeks with rouge, make their eyes prominent with antimony, sin against HIM. To them, I suppose, the plastic skill of God is displeasing! In their own persons, I suppose, they convict, they censure, the Artificer of all things! For censure they, do when they amend, when they add to, His work; taking these their additions, of course, from the adversary artificer. That adversary artificer is the devil. For who would show the way to change the body, but he who by wickedness transfigured man's spirit? He it is, undoubtedly, who adapted ingenious devices of this kind; that in your persons it may be apparent that you, in a certain sense, do violence to God. Whatever is born is the work of God. Whatever, then, is plastered on that, is the devil's work. To superinduce on a divine work Satan's ingenuities, how criminal is it! Our servants borrow nothing from our personal enemies: soldiers eagerly desire nothing from the foes of their own general; for, to demand for your own use anything from the adversary of Him in whose hand you are, is a transgression. Shall a Christian be assisted in anything by that evil one? (If he do,) I know not whether this name of "Christian" will continue to belong to him; for he will be his in whose lore he eagerly desires to be instructed. But how alien from your schoolings and professions are these things! How unworthy the Christian name, to wear a fictitious face, you, on whom simplicity in every form is enjoined!--to lie in your appearance, you, to whom lying with the tongue is not lawful!--to seek after what is another's, you, to whom is delivered the precept of abstinence from what is another's!--to practice adultery in your mind, you, who make modesty your study! Think, blessed sisters, how will you keep God's precepts if you shall not keep in your own persons His lineaments?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><b>Dying Your Hair</b></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I see some women turn the color of their hair with saffron. They are ashamed even of their own nation, ashamed that their procreation did not assign them to Germany and to Gaul: thus, as it is, they transfer their hair thither! Ill, ay, most ill, do they augur for themselves with their flame-colored head, and think that graceful which in fact they are polluting! Nay, moreover, the force of the cosmetics burns ruin into the hair; and the constant application of even any undrugged moisture, lays up a store of harm for the head; while the sun's warmth, too, so desirable for imparting to the hair at once growth and dryness, is hurtful. What "grace" is compatible with "injury?" What "beauty" with "impurities?" Shall a Christian woman heap saffron on her head, as upon an altar? For, whatever is wont to be burned to the honor of the unclean spirit, that--unless it is applied for honest, and necessary, and salutary uses, for which God's creature was provided--may seem to be a sacrifice. But, however, God saith, "Which of you can make a white hair black, or out of a black a white?" And so they refute the Lord! "Behold!" say they, "instead of white or black, we make it yellow,--more winning in grace." And yet such as repent of having lived to old age do attempt to change it even from white to black! O temerity! The age which is the object of our wishes and prayers blushes for itself! A theft is effected! Youth, wherein we have sinned, is sighed after! The opportunity of sobriety is spoiled! Far from Wisdom's daughters be folly so great! The more old age tries to conceal itself, the more will it be detected. Here is a veritable eternity, in the perennial youth of your head! Here we have an "incorruptibility" to "put on," with a view to the new house of the Lord which the divine monarchy promises! Well do you speed toward the Lord; well do you hasten to be quit of this most iniquitous world, to whom it is unsightly to approach your own end!</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><b>Elaborate Hair Styles</b></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What service, again, does all the labor spent in arranging the hair render to salvation? Why is no rest allowed to your hair, which must now be bound, now loosed, now cultivated, now thinned out? Some are anxious to force their hair into curls, some to let it hang loose and flying; not with good simplicity: beside which, you affix I know not what enormities of subtle and textile perukes; now, after the manner of a helmet of undressed hide, as it were a sheath for the head and a covering for the crown; now, a mass drawn backward toward the neck. The wonder is, that there is no open contending against the Lord's prescripts! It has been pronounced that no one can add to his own stature. You, however, do add to your weight some kind of rolls, or shield-bosses, to be piled upon your necks! If you feel no shame at the enormity, feel some at the pollution; for fear you may be fitting on a holy and Christian head the slough of someone else's head, unclean perchance, guilty perchance and destined to hell. Nay, rather banish quite away from your "free" head all this slavery of ornamentation. In vain do you labor to seem adorned: in vain do you call in the aid of all the most skillful manufacturers of false hair. God bids you "be veiled." I believe He does so for fear the heads of some should be seen! And oh, that in "that day" of Christian exultation, I, most miserable as I am, may elevate my head, even though below the level of) your heels! I shall then see whether you will rise with (your) ceruse and rouge and saffron, and in all that parade of headgear: whether it will be women thus tricked out whom the angels carry up to meet Christ in the air If these decorations are now good, and of God, they will then also present themselves to the rising bodies and will recognize their several places. But nothing can rise except flesh and spirit sole and pure. Whatever, therefore, does not rise in the form of spirit and flesh is condemned, because it is not of God. From things which are condemned abstain, even at the present day. At the present day let God see you such as He will see you then.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><b>Men Need to Listen Too</b></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Of course, now, I, a man, as being envious of women, am banishing them quite from their own domains. Are there, in our case too, some things which, in respect of the sobriety we are to maintain on account of the fear due to God, are disallowed? If it is true, as it is, that in men, for the sake of women just as in women for the sake of men, there is implanted, by a defect of nature, the will to please; and if this sex of ours acknowledges to itself deceptive trickeries of form peculiarly its own,-- such as to cut the beard too sharply; to pluck it out here and there; to shave round about the mouth; to arrange the hair, and disguise its hoariness by dyes; to remove all the incipient down all over the body; to fix each particular hair in its place with some womanly pigment; to smooth all the rest of the body by the aid of some rough powder or other: then, further, to take every opportunity for consulting the minor; to gaze anxiously into it:-while yet, when once the knowledge of God has put an end to all wish to please by means of voluptuous attraction, all these things are rejected as frivolous, as hostile to modesty. For where God is, there modesty is; there is sobriety? her assistant and ally. How, then, shall we practice modesty without her instrumental mean, that is, without sobriety? How, moreover, shall we bring sobriety to bear on the discharge of the functions of modesty, unless seriousness in appearance and in countenance, and in the general aspect of the entire man, mark our carriage?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><b>Avoid Excess</b></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wherefore, with regard to clothing also, and all the remaining lumber of your self-elaboration, the like pruning off and retrenchment of too redundant splendor must be the object of your care. For what boots it to exhibit in your face temperance and unaffectedness, and a simplicity altogether worthy of the divine discipline, but to invest all the other parts of the body with the luxurious absurdities of pomps and delicacies? How intimate is the connection which these pomps have with the business of voluptuousness, and how they interfere with modesty, is easily discernible from the fact that it is by the allied aid of dress that they prostitute the grace of personal comeliness: so plain is it that if the pomps be wanting, they render that grace bootless and thankless, as if it were disarmed and wrecked. On the other hand, if natural beauty fails, the supporting aid of outward embellishment supplies a grace, as it were, from its own inherent power. Those times of life, in fact, which are at last blest with quiet and withdrawn into the harbor of modesty, the splendor and dignity of dress lure away from that rest and that harbor, and disquiet seriousness by seductions of appetite, which compensate for the chili of age by the provocative charms of apparel. First, then, blessed sisters, take heed that you admit not to your use meretricious and prostitutionary garbs and garments: and, in the next place, if there are any of you whom the exigencies of riches, or birth, or past dignities, compel to appear in public so gorgeously arrayed as not to appear to have attained wisdom, take heed to temper an evil of this kind; lest, under the pretext of necessity, you give the rein without stint to the indulgence of license. For, how will you be able to fulfil the requirements of humility, which our school profess, if you do not keep within bounds the enjoyment of your riches and elegancies, which tend so much to "glory?" Now it has ever been the wont of glory to exalt, not to humble. "Why, shall we not use what is our own?" Who prohibits your using it? Yet it must be in accordance with the apostle, who warns us "to use this world as if we abuse it not; for the fashion of this world is passing away." And "they who buy are so to act as if they possessed not." Why so? Because he had laid down the premise, saying, "The time is wound up." If, then he shows plainly that even wives themselves are so to be had as if they be not had, on account of the straits of the times, what would be his sentiments about these vain appliances of theirs? Why, are there not many, withal, who so do, and seal themselves up to eunuchhood for the sake of the kingdom of God, spontaneously relinquishing a pleasure so honorable, and as we know permitted? Are there not some who prohibit to themselves the use of the very "creature of God," abstaining from wine and animal food, the enjoyments of which border upon no peril or solicitude; but they sacrifice to God the humility of their soul even in the chastened use of food? Sufficiently, therefore, have you, too, used your riches and your delicacies; sufficiently have you cut down the fruits of your dowries, before receiving the knowledge of saving disciplines. We are they "upon whom the ends of the ages have met, having ended their course." We have been predestined by God, before the world was, to arise in the extreme end of the times. And so, we are trained by God for the purpose of chastising, and so to say emasculating, the world. We are the circumcision--spiritual and carnal--of all things; for both in the spirit and in the flesh we circumcise worldly principles.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><b>EVIL ORIGIN</b></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was God, no doubt, who showed the way to dye wools with the juices of herbs and the humors of conchs! It had escaped Him, when He was bidding the universe to come into being, to issue a command for (the production of) purple and scarlet sheep! It was God, too, who devised by careful thought the manufactures of those very garments which, light and thin (in themselves), were to be heavy in price alone; God who produced such grand implements of gold for confining or parting the hair; God who introduced (the fashion of) finely-cut wounds for the ears, and set so high a value upon the tormenting of His own work and the tortures of innocent infancy, learning to suffer with its earliest breath, in order that from those scars of the body--born for the steel!--should hang I know not what (precious) grains, which, as we may plainly see, the Parthians insert, in place of studs, upon their very shoes!</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And yet even the gold itself, the "glory" of which carries you away, serves a certain race (so Gentile literature. tells us) for chains! So true is it that it is not intrinsic worth, but rarity, which constitutes the goodness (of these things): the excessive labour, moreover, of working them with arts introduced by the means of the sinful angels, who were the revealers withal of the material substances themselves, joined with their rarity, excited their costliness, and hence a lust on the part of women to possess (that) costliness. But, if the self-same angels who disclosed both the material substances of this kind and their charms--of gold, I mean, and lustrous stones--and taught men how to work them, and by and by instructed them, among their other (instructions), in (the virtues of) eyelid-powder and the dyeings of fleeces, have been condemned by God, as Enoch tells us, how shall we please God while we joy in the things of those (angels) who, on these accounts, have provoked the anger and the vengeance of God?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, granting that God did foresee these things; that God permitted them; that Esaias finds fault with no garment of purple, represses no coil, reprobates no crescent-shaped neck ornaments; still let us not, as the Gentiles do, flatter ourselves with thinking that God is merely a Creator, not likewise a Downlooker on His own creatures. For how far more usefully and cautiously shall we act, if we hazard the presumption that all these things were indeed provided at the beginning and placed in the world by God, in order that there should now be means of putting to the proof the discipline of His servants, in order that the licence of using should be the means whereby the experimental trials of continence should be conducted? Do not wise heads of families purposely offer and permit some things to their servants in order to try whether and how they will use the things thus permitted whether (they will do so) with honesty, or with moderation? But how far more praiseworthy (the servant) who abstains entirely; who has a wholesome fear even of his lord's indulgence! Thus, therefore, the apostle too: "All things," says he, "are lawful, but not all are expedient." How much more easily will he fear what is unlawful who has a reverent dread of what is lawful?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Distinguished Appearance</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Moreover, what causes have you for appearing in public in excessive grandeur, removed as you are from the occasions which call for such exhibitions? For you neither make the circuit of the temples, nor demand (to be present at) public shows, nor have any acquaintance with the holy days of the Gentiles. Now it is for the sake of all these public gatherings, and of much seeing and being seen, that all pomps (of dress) are exhibited before the public eye; either for the purpose of transacting the trade of voluptuousness, or else of inflating "glory." You, however, have no cause of appearing in public, except such as is serious. Either some brother who is sick is visited, or else the sacrifice is offered, or else the word of God is dispensed.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Whichever of these you like to name is a business of sobriety and sanctity, requiring no extraordinary attire, with (studious) arrangement and (wanton) negligence. And if the requirements of Gentile friendships and of kindly offices call you, why not go forth clad in your own armour; (and) all the more, in that (you have to go) to such as are strangers to the faith? so that between the handmaids of God and of the devil there may be a difference; so that you may be an example to them, and they may be edified in you; so that (as the apostle says) "God may be magnified in your body." But magnified He is in the body through modesty: of course, too, through attire suitable to modesty. Well, but it is urged by some, "Let not the Name be blasphemed in us, if we make any derogatory change from our old style and dress." Let us, then, not abolish our old vices! let us maintain the same character, if we must maintain the same appearance (as before); and then truly the nations will not blaspheme! A grand blasphemy is that by which it is said, "Ever since she became a Christian, she walks in poorer garb!" Will you fear to appear poorer, from the time that you have been made more wealthy; and fouler, from the time when you have been made more clean? Is it according to the decree of Gentiles, or according to the decree of God, that it becomes Christians to walk?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let us only wish that we may be no cause for just blasphemy! But how much more provocative of blasphemy is it that you, who are called modesty's priestesses, should appear in public decked and painted out after the manner of the immodest? Else, (if you so do,) what inferiority would the poor unhappy victims of the public lusts have (beneath you)? whom, albeit some laws were (formerly) wont to restrain them from (the use of) matrimonial and matronly decorations, now, at all events, the daily increasing depravity of the age has raised so nearly to an equality with all the most honourable women, that the difficulty is to distinguish them. And yet, even the Scriptures suggest (to us the reflection), that meretricious attractivenesses of form are invariably conjoined with and appropriate to bodily prostitution. That powerful state which presides over the seven mountains and very many waters, has merited from the Lord the appellation of a prostitute. But what kind of garb is the instrumental mean of her comparison with that appellation? She sits, to be sure, "in purple, and scarlet, and gold, and precious stone." How accursed are the things without (the aid of) which an accursed prostitute could not have been described! It was the fact that Thamar "had painted out and adorned herself" that led Judah to regard her as a harlot, and thus, because she was hidden beneath her "veil,"--the quality of her garb belying her as if she had been a harlot,--he judged (her to be one), and addressed and bargained with (her as such). Whence we gather an additional confirmation of the lesson, that provision must be made in every way. against all immodest associations and suspicions. For why is the integrity of a chaste mind defiled by its neighbour's suspicion? Why is a thing from which I am averse hoped for in me? Why does not my garb pre-announce my character, to prevent my spirit from being wounded by shamelessness through (the channel of) nay ears? Grant that it be lawful to assume the appearance of a modest woman: to assume that of an immodest is, at all events, not lawful.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Perhaps some (woman) will say: "To me it is not necessary to be approved by men; for I do not require the testimony of men: God is the inspector of the heart." (That) we all know; provided, however, we remember what the same (God) has said through the apostle: "Let your probity appear before men." For what purpose, except that malice may have no access at all to you, or that you may be an example and testimony to the evil? Else, what is (that): "Let your works shine?" Why, moreover, does the Lord call us the light of the world; why has He compared us to a city built upon a mountain; if we do not shine in (the midst of) darkness, and stand eminent amid them who are sunk down? If you hide your lamp beneath a bushel, you must necessarily be left quite in darkness, and be run against by many. The things which make us luminaries of the world are these--our good works. What is good, moreover, provided it be true and full, loves not darkness: it joys in being seen, and exults over the very pointings which are made at it. To Christian modesty it is not enough to be so, but to seem so too. For so great ought its plenitude to be, that it may flow out from the mind to the garb, and burst out from the conscience to the outward appearance; so that even from the outside it may gaze, as it were, upon its own furniture,-- (a furniture) such as to be suited to retain faith as its inmate perpetually. For such delicacies as tend by their softness and effeminacy to unman the manliness of faith are to be discarded. Otherwise, I know not whether the wrist that has been wont to be surrounded with the palmleaf-like bracelet will endure till it grow into the numb hardness of its own chain! I know not whether the leg that has rejoiced in the anklet will suffer itself to be squeezed into the gyve! I fear the neck, beset with pearl and emerald nooses, will give no room to the broadsword! Wherefore, blessed (sisters), let us meditate on hardships, and we shall not feel them; let us abandon luxuries, and we shall not regret them. Let us stand ready to endure every violence, having nothing which we may fear to leave behind. It is these things which are the bonds which retard our hope. Let us cast away earthly ornaments if we desire heavenly. Love not gold; in which (one substance) are branded all the sins of the people of Israel. You ought to hate what mined your fathers; what was adored by them who were forsaking God. Even then (we find) gold is food for the fire. But Christians always, and now more than ever, pass their times not in gold but in iron: the stoles of martyrdom are (now) preparing: the angels who are to carry us are (now) being awaited! Do you go forth (to meet them) already arrayed in the cosmetics and ornaments of prophets and apostles; drawing your whiteness from simplicity, your ruddy hue from modesty; painting your eyes with bashfulness, and your mouth with silence; implanting in your ears the words of God; fitting on your necks the yoke of Christ. Submit your head to your husbands, and you will be enough adorned. Busy your hands with spinning; keep your feet at home; and you will "please" better than (by arraying yourselves) in gold. Clothe yourselves with the silk of uprightness, the fine linen of holiness, the purple of modesty. Thus painted, you will have God as your Lover!</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-15869580259857730112023-04-27T07:36:00.001-07:002023-04-27T07:36:57.884-07:00Enoch and the Origin of Evil<div style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSbYEaiWKUCfy-y-yarHzaFddRXtCSa4sd1uceZr85nHb_I0xJjlsNZIoNzalonXWotRGBTg7HjPDpGAkM-kl95iYcy26TZ3mtni_MGqB-8XK1beGTiiw7jyTzuYnviQjuukrG3Xfm7-IcXPlzMV8wAYWOKIPDrQwPgBJGFkxsN0fJYEQDCIMgXvZwMQ/s320/ENOCH%20AND%20THE%20ORIGIN%20OF%20EVIL.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSbYEaiWKUCfy-y-yarHzaFddRXtCSa4sd1uceZr85nHb_I0xJjlsNZIoNzalonXWotRGBTg7HjPDpGAkM-kl95iYcy26TZ3mtni_MGqB-8XK1beGTiiw7jyTzuYnviQjuukrG3Xfm7-IcXPlzMV8wAYWOKIPDrQwPgBJGFkxsN0fJYEQDCIMgXvZwMQ/s1600/ENOCH%20AND%20THE%20ORIGIN%20OF%20EVIL.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />Anyone who has studied hermeneutics (the science of biblical interpretation) understands the impact interpretation has on how we view the Gospel in relation to our own lives and the world around us. One of the most important principles the theologian must keep in mind with regard to interpretation is that any passage(s) should be understood as the author intended the passage(s) to be understood by his original audience. This means we must make it our primary task to discover what the accepted knowledge of the people of that time and place was with regard to the particular subject at hand. For example, with the New Testament we have to first read and understand the writings as the original 1st century audience did. This is part of the contextual examination of Scripture. From there we begin the process of discerning how to apply those same truths truths to our current time and place. This is what is often called the "Hermeneutical Bridge". This is not surprisingly the approach we find consistently in the writings of the Church Fathers. </span><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I say this to inform my reader of my own approach as I delve into biblical angelology, demonology, and spiritual warfare. It is important to say at the outset that none of the information that follows is unique to me, nor are the ideas contained herein mine. They are a part of the historical deposit of the Christian Faith, and are known to most Biblical scholars today, though rarely spoken of outside academic circles. We can point to <a href="http://drmsh.com/" style="background: transparent; color: #bf8b38;" target="_blank">Dr. Mike Heiser</a>, Biblical scholar and expert in Semitic Languages, as the one who broke this mold, so to speak, with the publishing of his books "Reversing Hermon" and "Unseen Realm". The bulk of my own research is inspired by his work.<br /><br />One of the errors that I have been guilty of in the past is of sanitizing both Scripture and the Church Fathers; explaining away problematic statements. Statements which are only problematic if one imposes 21st century Rationalism and, to some extent, anti-Supernaturalism, on the texts in question. In challenging myself to explore these issues deeply, and from a scholarly/academic approach, I have found such whitewashing of Sacred Scripture and the Patristic witness of the early church to be an egregious error, which I hope can be corrected by stalwarts such as Dr. Heiser.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>The Origin of Evil</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The question of the origin of evil is one most apologists are familiar with, and while we often offer an anthropological answer, the Church Fathers would have offered three reasons for the existence of evil in our world; </span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Fall, </span></li><li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Satan, and the sin of the Watchers, hinted at in Genesis 6. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">the events of the Tower of Babel</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">As Dr. Michael Heiser puts it,</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">"What happened in Genesis 6:1-4 is part of what the Messiah had to reverse." </i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">And as we delve into this topic we will see that 1st century Jews did not envision the Messiah only as a King, but also the one who would reverse the destruction wrought by Satan and the Watchers; He would redeem the entirety of the cosmos partly by destroying the power base the rebellious angels had established.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>"Now, Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds."-</i></b> <b>Jude 14</b> (Quoting the Book of Enoch)</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Enoch</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">While the Book of Enoch is not considered canon today (</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It is found in the official canon of only one church- the Ethiopian Orthodox),</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> for many reasons, it was regarded as Scripture by the Essene faction of Judaism, as well as many of the Church Fathers. Thus, we find such early Christian theologians as Origen, Tertullian, the author of the Epistle of Barnabas, Clement of Alexandria, and Anatolius quoting from it liberally. This use of the Book of Enoch is not without merit, as the book does indeed connect well to both the Old and New Testaments. For example, Enoch writes of "Watchers", an angelic order. We find this very same order referred to in Daniel 4:13,17, 23. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"In the visions I saw while laying in bed, I looked, and there before me was a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven.."</i>- Daniel 4:13</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Aramaic word <i>"irin"</i> (holy ones) used in the Hebrew of this verse is also translated as <i>"Watcher"</i>. The Book of Enoch details the history of these Watchers, or at least one group of them, who descended to Mt. Hermon, and whose central transgression was marriage to human women and the subsequent procreation of offspring known as "giants", or Nephilim. We should be careful not to ascribe to these beings the qualities of the "jolly green giant", as many folk theologians do, as that is not, I believe, what is intended by the word. Instead it seems to imply great strength, great abilities, as well as an above average height for that time.<br /><br />Eventually, due to the great sins of the Watchers and Nephilim, God sends the flood to cleanse the earth and the Nephilim became "unclean spirits"-demons. We find this Enochian history being accepted as fact by many Church Fathers.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"The angels (Watchers) transgressed this appointment and were captivated by love of women. And they begat children, who are those who are called demons."</i>- Justin Martyr</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"In the Days of Noah, He justly brought on the Deluge for the purpose of extinguishing that most infamous race of men then existent, who could not bring forth fruit to God. For the angels who had sinned had commingled with them."</i>- Irenaeus</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"Such was the beauty of women that it turned the angels (Watchers) aside. As a result, being contaminated, they could not return to heaven. Being rebels from God, they uttered words against Him. Then the Highest uttered His judgment against them. And from their seed, Nephilim are said to have been born....When they died, men erected images to them."</i>- Commodianus</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"It is on account of the angels (Watchers)- those whom we read of as having fallen from God and from heaven because of lusting after females.."</i>- Tertullian</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are many other examples of an acceptance of Enochian history, but these suffice for our purposes here.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Sin of the Watchers</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>"1. And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto them beautiful and comely daughters. 2. And the angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another: 'Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children.' 3. And Semjâzâ, who was their leader, said unto them: 'I fear ye will not indeed agree to do this deed, and I alone shall have to pay the penalty of a great sin.' 4. And they all answered him and said: 'Let us all swear an oath, and all bind ourselves by mutual imprecations not to abandon this plan but to do this thing.' 5. Then sware they all together and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it. 6. And they were in all two hundred; who descended ⌈in the days⌉ of Jared on the summit of Mount Hermon, and they called it Mount Hermon, because they had sworn and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it. 7. And these are the names of their leaders: Sêmîazâz, their leader, Arâkîba, Râmêêl, Kôkabîêl, Tâmîêl, Râmîêl, Dânêl, Êzêqêêl, Barâqîjâl, Asâêl, Armârôs, Batârêl, Anânêl, Zaqîêl, Samsâpêêl, Satarêl, Tûrêl, Jômjâêl, Sariêl. 8. These are their chiefs of tens."</i>- Enoch 6 </b>(R.H. Charles translation, 1917)</span></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">As already noted, the sin of the Watchers was that they sought to marry human women, and through them to raise up their own nations in imitation of the Creator. What lurks behind this act of rebellion is jealousy of the procreative mandate of Man, his creation in the image and likeness of God, and a lust for experiences of the flesh and for power. Their sin ultimately led to the Flood, wherein all life on earth save a few were destroyed by God. Interestingly, the Hebrew root word for Hermon means, <i><b>"devote to destruction"</b>.</i></span></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The connection of Enoch to Sacred Scripture can be easily demonstrated. For example:</span></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i><span class="text Gen-6-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;">"1.When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them,</span><span style="text-align: start;"> </span><span class="text Gen-6-2" id="en-ESV-140" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">2 </span>the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.</span><span style="text-align: start;"> </span><span class="text Gen-6-3" id="en-ESV-141" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">3 </span>Then the <span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Lord</span> said, <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-141A" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-141A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>“My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-141B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-141B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”</span><span style="text-align: start;"> </span></i></b><span class="text Gen-6-4" id="en-ESV-142" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"><b><i><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">4 </span>The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown."</i>- Genesis 6:1-4</b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><span class="text Gen-6-4" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><span class="text Gen-6-4" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">If we divorce these verses from the historical, literary, and cultural context given to them by Enoch, they make very little sense, and certainly seem out of place. This is why it is important to understand them as did 1st century Jews and Christians, since this illuminates the biblical text for us and helps to "flesh out" obscure concepts such as that presented in Genesis 6.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><span class="text Gen-6-4" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><span class="text Gen-6-4" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I believe this also helps inform our angelology, demonology, and spiritual warfare. The Church Fathers taught that the Nephilim, after the Flood, became what we know in Christian theology as demonic spirits. (Enoch 15:9; 11-12; 16:1) </span></span></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><span class="text Gen-6-4" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><span class="text Gen-6-4" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"...the souls of the Nephilim, who are the demons.."</i>- Athenagoras</span></b></span></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><span class="text Gen-6-4" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><span class="text Gen-6-4" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>"Being depraved themselves, they infuse others into the error of their depravity...The poets know that these spirits are demons."</b></i><b>- Mark Minucius Felix</b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><span class="text Gen-6-4" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><span class="text Gen-6-4" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">These very same disembodied Nephilim- now demons-were recognized to be the very pagan deities so popular in the surrounding culture.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><span class="text Gen-6-4" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i></span></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><span class="text Gen-6-4" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"From the seed (of the Watchers), Nephilim are said to have been born...When they died, men erected images to them...And it is these whom you (pagans) presently worship and pray to as gods."</i>- Commodianus</span></b></span></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><span class="text Gen-6-4" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><b style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"However, those who were born (from the Watchers)- because they were neither angels or human, but had a mixed nature- were not admitted into Hades (when they died)...Thus, there came to be two kinds of demons: one of heaven, the other of the earth. The latter are the wicked spirits, who are the authors of all the evils that are done."</i>- Lactantius</span></b></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><span class="text Gen-6-4" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i></b></span></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><span class="text Gen-6-4" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"In my opinion, it is certain wicked demons ( so to speak, of the race of Titans or Nephilim) who have been guilty of impiety towards the true God."</i>- Origen</span></b></span></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><span class="text Gen-6-4" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: lora, serif;"><span class="text Gen-6-4" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Note the specific use of the term <i>"Titans"</i> for these Nephilim. In Greek pagan mythology, the Titans were the second generation of divine beings, descended from a group of primordial deities who were said to have descended to a mountain. Sound familiar? It should, since this is exactly what we find in the Book of Enoch, and find corroborated in Genesis 6:1-4 ("the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown"), as well as the Epistle of Jude.</span></span></div></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">Dr. Michael Heiser and researcher </span><a href="https://www.derekpgilbert.com/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #bf8b38; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">Derek Gilbert</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"> have noted a very clear connection of the Enochian history to Mesopotamian paganism- specifically the story of the Apkallu. The Apkallu are ancient pagan heroes who were said to be in the service of an entity known as EA. All of these beings were said to exist before the Flood. Like the Enochian history, these entities were said to have taught various skills to humans, and obviously mated with human women, since after the Flood, as the Mesopotamian record tells us, the only surviving Apkallu are said to be of human descent, and no longer divine. One of the four surviving mixed Apkallu is none other than Gilgamesh. It is worth noting that the Essenes mention Gilgamesh in connection to the Nephilim as well, in the Book of the Giants, found at Qumran. I encourage readers to obtain copies of Dr. Heiser's works, as well as Derek Gilbert's book </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">"Last Clash of the Titans"</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">, for a thorough, academic exposition of the topic.</span> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-31369973971353628912023-04-06T14:12:00.000-07:002023-04-06T14:12:21.523-07:00Does God Still Send Prophetic Signs?<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXCMtWByeDnTAK_NuSs6tGFzV_4VXbQkar0UJTlgSKyv8VSJ5_w9d4dJ4aDrad5rwfEHmiXL1XxFLTwwOiaVyI6nI4J68Q7Qm9B3PS1HHI8dQuMdU_LujjpBB6JLu6dC-4PEa32enngxzUvS45XjPhtc2qYTk6JoYReHIqqQNpg2TeElOWZTSeOpKlhg/s1640/Untitled%20design%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXCMtWByeDnTAK_NuSs6tGFzV_4VXbQkar0UJTlgSKyv8VSJ5_w9d4dJ4aDrad5rwfEHmiXL1XxFLTwwOiaVyI6nI4J68Q7Qm9B3PS1HHI8dQuMdU_LujjpBB6JLu6dC-4PEa32enngxzUvS45XjPhtc2qYTk6JoYReHIqqQNpg2TeElOWZTSeOpKlhg/w400-h225/Untitled%20design%20(1).png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We all want tangible answers to prayer — something we can point to as being a definitive, miraculous answer. Some make the mistake of looking for signs from God so often that they get discouraged when they don’t see what they think is a sign. Does the Lord send us signs of His will or answered prayers? If so, what do they look like? </span></div></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">First, we have to understand that looking for signs is not a healthy spiritual thing to do. There are many sects and movements out there that are caught up in signs and wonders, only to find themselves falling headlong into false teachings and outright apostasy. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">In our desire to experience God in a way that goes above and beyond the normal range of human experience, we can do much spiritual damage to ourselves. Keep in mind that our Adversary is capable of producing phenomena that would appear miraculous to those with less-than-optimal discernment. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">We see this fairly frequently in valid cases of demonic possession. Seemingly “miraculous” occurrences such as levitation, objects materializing out of nowhere, knowledge of hidden or distant happenings, superhuman strength, and movement of remote objects are all common experiences in exorcism ministry. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Yet, we know these aren’t at all miracles, since the supernatural is the action of God alone. Miracles are God acting in the natural world in the suspension of material laws. Demons</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">are not producing miracles but are merely manipulating matter and our senses to confuse, mislead and strike fear into us.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">We even see this in the actions of certain false teachers who gather large followings due to claims of healing, but upon closer examination, you find their teachings are at variance with Scripture. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Keep in mind that the Adversary disguises itself as a good, holy being at times, seeking our demise (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=2+corinthians+11:14" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">2 Corinthians 11:14</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">;</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+peter+5:8" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">1 Peter 5:8</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). Christ did not have much good to say about those who are always looking for signs. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">In fact, he referred to them as wicked and adulterous (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=matthew+16:4" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Matthew 16:4</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">). So, let’s not get caught up in looking for signs and wonders, but rather be dedicated students of Scripture. Anything we suspect might be a sign must conform to the witness of Scripture.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>Recognizing the Signs</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">With that warning said, this does not mean that God never gives signs of His will, judgment, or answers to prayer. Sometimes He does. Knowing what some of these common signs are helpful in avoiding the errors we have already mentioned.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">1. Other people. </strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">God often sends us a sign in other people. In the Old Testament, we see many examples of prophets being sent to deliver messages to rulers and others (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=jeremiah+20" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Jeremiah 20</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">;</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/2-samuel/12.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">2 Samuel 12</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">While receiving a message from a prophet is not likely today, receiving a message through fellow believers is fairly likely. Oftentimes, when we have been praying earnestly about an issue, someone at church will come up to us and say something that quite literally answers the petition. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Sometimes they are aware of this, other times not. Or the sermon for that Sunday will address the very issue we have been struggling with, providing clarity.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Keep in mind that good pastors pray that they teach what their congregation needs to hear, and God responds, giving them the right words at the right time.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">2. Dreams and visions.</strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Scripture tells us that as we near the End Times people will experience visions and dreams. This does not mean that every dream you have is a sign from God. Nor does it necessarily mean that any dream you have of a spiritual nature is a sign or message from God. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">The human mind is capable of producing many fanciful images and themes that are quite apart from God’s intervention. Again, one of the keys to discerning anything we consider to be a sign is whether it conforms to the whole witness of Scripture since it is our only infallible, divinely inspired source of information. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">So, if I have a dream that God wants me to abandon my family and go alone into the rain forest to preach to a small tribe there for the rest of my life, the chances are that dream is just the product of my fallen imagination. However, God does sometimes communicate through these means (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=matthew+2:12" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Matthew 2:12</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">;</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=acts+10%3a9-23" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Acts 10:9-23</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">).</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">3. Intrinsic meaning. </strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">This is perhaps one of the most common ways God speaks to us in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is meant to be communication. All too often we view it as something akin to the drive-thru at the local fast-food restaurant. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">We give God our list of wants and needs and then move on, expecting Him to fill our order. That is not communication. Communication is a two-way thing. It requires that we not only speak but that we stop and listen as well. Listening is the hard part for most of us.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">It takes practice to listen for God’s voice, but once you commit to doing so, the results will amaze you. The Lord will often speak to us as a still small voice in our conscience (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+kings+19:12" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">1 Kings 19:12</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). These messages we receive in our conscience are what we refer to as intrinsic meanings. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">These are messages meant just for you. They will speak to your hurts and fears, encourage you in holy living, and rebuke you when you are in sin and rebellion. This is the voice of the Holy Spirit in your life (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=john+14:26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">John 14:26</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">).</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Indeed, God does provide us with signs of His guidance and presence. It is helpful to know what some of these signs are in order to more accurately notice them when they occur. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">However, we should not be seeking signs and wonders, nor focusing on miracles and claims of visions and apparitions. Instead, our focus should be on the Word of God, which is where we will gain our greatest insights into the will of God for our lives.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-8701377786460635312023-03-24T14:35:00.000-07:002023-03-24T14:35:23.589-07:00How Does Sin Desire to Have You?<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlxfsqaE9c2RIYqnHNarSLKYwX_xISWalto-7p5jbreHKlh-LpWcQ0s90SsCWKSaAMtsFq4y4mg4zEl4I6xTeV6v1FjyflJhPx1Z76b1JVqrp_ZUKlP0U56xUewwVIewuL1wLCI_FEnPzkDJlr_21M8cnRGti1YD7djymy_kiVX9Do339i0dz90zKMg/s600/e3e123ccb1a34e058baa08f895a12f4a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="600" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlxfsqaE9c2RIYqnHNarSLKYwX_xISWalto-7p5jbreHKlh-LpWcQ0s90SsCWKSaAMtsFq4y4mg4zEl4I6xTeV6v1FjyflJhPx1Z76b1JVqrp_ZUKlP0U56xUewwVIewuL1wLCI_FEnPzkDJlr_21M8cnRGti1YD7djymy_kiVX9Do339i0dz90zKMg/s320/e3e123ccb1a34e058baa08f895a12f4a.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span>When Scripture says that sin is crouching at our door, and desires to have us, what exactly does that mean? Is sin a person? Does sin think and engage in strategy? How should we understand this? </span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Scripture is filled with many different genres of literature.</span></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">1. Narrative Literature:</strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> A narrative is simply a story of events. For example, the Book of Acts tells us about the early church. It relates the history of how the Holy Spirit came to the 12 apostles, how they preached in Jerusalem, and the spread of the gospel message. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Likewise, the Book of Exodus tells us of the history of the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness. In short, these are the writings that give us history and biography. From such literature, we can gain spiritual insights that apply to our own lives, even in modern times.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">2. Wisdom:</strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> These writings are designed to teach us different moral and ethical principles. You will find everything from marriage and child-rearing to finances and courtship covered in such literature. Examples of these in the Bible are the Book of Proverbs and the Book of Ecclesiastes.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">3. Poetry:</strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> When we think of poetry we might think of such notables as William Shakespeare, William Butler Yates, William Wordsworth, or Lord Byron. We might not instinctively think of Scripture in terms of poetry, but poetic language is used throughout, and the Book of Psalms is quite literally a book of poetic songs. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">We can add prophecy, letters (epistles), and the gospels to this list as well. However, the one that has bearing on the topic of sin desiring to have us is poetry. Poetry often uses word pictures to describe things. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Let me give you an example of a word picture you commonly find. You go to church on Sunday and one of the choir members sings a solo. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Her performance is technically precise, she’s always perfect in pitch, and the song moves many people in the congregation to tears. Now, generally, we do not describe her performance this way. We would say something like, “She has the voice of an angel.” Now, none of us actually believes an angel sang through her. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">What we intend to convey is how beautiful and touching her performance was. The way in which we expressed that sentiment was an example of poetic language. It is the same in Genesis 4:7. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The author is not trying to tell us that sin is a living being who plots against us, sneaks around the house, and waits for an opportunity to attack us. Sin is crouching at your door. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rather, he is telling us that sin can almost imperceptibly become a part of our lives. Sin is not a person that can think or act. In fact, sin does not even exist as an action or attitude without someone to give it expression.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>What is Sin?</i></b> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Simply put, sin is any act or attitude that is in violation of God’s Law for humanity. “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness” (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+john+3:4" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">1 John 3:4</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">). Like Satan, who refused to serve his Creator, we rebel against God’s order, and that rebellion is sin.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">Remember this and never forget how you aroused the anger of the Lord your God in the wilderness. From the day you left Egypt until you arrived here, you have been rebellious against the Lord</em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=deuteronomy+9:7" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">Deuteronomy 9:7</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">).</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">The proclivity to sin is something we have all inherited and which has caused death and suffering in our world.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned — For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord </em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">(</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=romans+5:12" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">Romans 5:12</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=romans+6:23" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">6:23</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">).</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">All of us — every last human being that has ever existed, that exists now, or will ever exist has sinned (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=romans+3:23" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">Romans 3:23</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+john+1:8" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">1 John 1:8</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">That sin separates us from God (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=isaiah+59:2" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">Isaiah 59:2</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=galatians+5%3a19-21" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">Galatians 5:19-21</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). Justin Martyr, one of the Church Fathers said this:</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Mankind by Adam fell under death, and the deception of the serpent; we are born sinners...Nothing good dwells in us...For neither by nature, nor by human understanding is it possible for me to acquire the knowledge of things so great and so divine, but by the energy of the Holy Spirit. </span></em><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Of ourselves it is impossible to enter the kingdom of God...He has convicted us of the impossibility of our nature to obtain life...Free will has destroyed us; we who were free are become slaves and for our sin are sold...Being pressed down by our sins, we cannot move upward toward God; we are like birds who have wings but are unable to fly.” </span></em></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">But there is good news in all of this! God loved each of us so much that He has provided a way for us to be reconciled to Himself and overcome sin. Our Heavenly Father sent His only begotten Son into this world to teach us, to guide us, and to restore us to our Father in heaven (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=john+3:16" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">John 3:16</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=romans+5:8" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">Romans 5:8</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=romans+6:23" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">6:23</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+john+2:2" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">1 John 2:2</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">As Theophilus of Antioch wrote: <i>“And God showed great kindness to man, in this, that He did not suffer him to continue being in sin forever.”</i> All you must do to receive this gift is to make a firm commitment to follow Jesus, be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, and resist sin in the future (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=john+14:6" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">John 14:6</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=acts+3:19" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">Acts 3:19</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=romans+5%3a12-21" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">Romans 5:12-21</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">).</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Justin Martyr also wrote: <i>“If you are eagerly looking for salvation, and if you believe in God, you may...become acquainted with the Christ of God, and, after being baptized, live a happy life.”</i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Unlike so many religions of the world that require you to work for your “enlightenment” or advancement in the organization, Jesus does not require such things of you. You do not have to wear any special clothes, submit to a pope, ask Mary or any saints for their assistance. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">There is no entrance fee, no special handshake, and nobody to stand between you and Jesus Christ. All you have to do is tell Him you want to serve Him, enter the waters of baptism for the forgiveness of your sins, and then do your best to avoid sin in the future. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">And the best ways to do that are to fellowship with other disciples, study the Word of God daily and pray in all things. It really is that easy. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Sin is crouching at your door, but thankfully, we have a Savior who watches our backs. Turn to him and ask him to help you to navigate the treacherous waters of temptation.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-22385446938604406352023-03-02T10:50:00.006-08:002023-03-02T10:52:24.699-08:00Why Is Church Attendance Important?<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtHRIjM21mLc24xKfA2D81OFb3gASwFFtRz66zZUt35UhuDOt9r2hX-tIP5bncln9acDsQKXbHgGE_QfHWxelyU0An1QKQK3NHkMetGYYIRfl_pFbZvPVcH4FFoKSIN4F9bv_U2TIhQuKieTezZvXzmE4p8Rh8vHRZGdi_4AGAm4GwR37lShyVi3lCNA/s768/111_91_3_master.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtHRIjM21mLc24xKfA2D81OFb3gASwFFtRz66zZUt35UhuDOt9r2hX-tIP5bncln9acDsQKXbHgGE_QfHWxelyU0An1QKQK3NHkMetGYYIRfl_pFbZvPVcH4FFoKSIN4F9bv_U2TIhQuKieTezZvXzmE4p8Rh8vHRZGdi_4AGAm4GwR37lShyVi3lCNA/w400-h266/111_91_3_master.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span>We have all met them. Perhaps there is one in your family or circle of friends. Those people who say they can be a good Christian without attending church. “After all,” they claim boldly, “the apostles</span><span> </span><span>did not attend church.” Is community really optional for Christians? </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Americans, perhaps more than any other people group, are well known for their rugged individualism. Many of us have grown up with the old saying, “God helps those who help themselves,” repeated to them throughout their formative years. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">We are raised to be fiercely independent people, relying on our own ingenuity, effort, intelligence, skills, and strength to achieve whatever it is we hope to achieve. We do not usually think in terms of large group identity, unless it comes to attacks on the nation, such as what we saw on September 11, 2001. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Small group identities, for example, can include school spirit for their sports team. So, it is no surprise, having this sort of attitude about life, that our spiritual lives often reflect this hyper-individualism. We place far too much emphasis on our individual, personal relationship with God while viewing the corporate expression of our faith as just something we do to advance that personal experience. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">And since it is not a necessary component of a personal, individual experience of the divine, we reason, corporate worship is just one option of many. The internet has taken this to another level, with many opting to “attend” virtual services from the comfort of their own homes, and even taking cyber-Communion, observing the Eucharist </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">online even after it was deemed a necessary precaution. </span></div></span></span></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">If this sounds odd or somehow not quite right, that is because it is. What we are seeing here is not a positive individualism that says, “I am responsible for the conduct of my life — my attitudes and actions,” but rather a negative individualism, which disregards any notion of corporate responsibility, accountability, or effort. It is an individualism that has become narcissistic, which, in turn, always corrodes the human spirit, becoming nihilism. As noted by writer Lewis Lapham:</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Except in a few well-publicized instances (enough to lend credence to the iconography painted on the walls of the media), the rigorous practice of rugged individualism usually leads to poverty, ostracism and disgrace.”</span></em></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">This is true of temporal matters as well as spiritual. Those who reject the need for corporate worship and fellowship often find themselves drifting away from the faith altogether, having no support structure with like-minded people.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">God created us to be communal beings. From the moment humanity was created, God noted that it was not good for us to be alone.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found</em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=genesis+2%3a18-20" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Genesis 2:18-20</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">).</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">We do not thrive and grow alone, but rather experience an absence of both dynamic faith and growth. Scripture tells us that community is important for many reasons:</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ol><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">It is evidence that we walk in the light (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+john+1:7" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">1 John 1:7</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). We fulfill Christ’s commands by helping those in our faith community (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=galatians+6:2" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Galatians 6:2</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">).</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;">It provides us with prayer support for our healing, which is not found elsewhere (<a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=james+5:16" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">James 5:16</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). It is the place where we can challenge each other and help each other grow to maturity (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=proverbs+27:17" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Proverbs 27:17</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">).</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;">It is the place where Christ promised His presence would be (<a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=matthew+18:20" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Matthew 18:20</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). It is the place where we can be encouraged by each other’s faith in times of abundance, as well as in times of difficulty (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=romans+1%3a11-12" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Romans 1:11-12</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">).</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;">We are not just individuals, but part of the Body of Christ, and part of our calling is to show concern for the other members of that Body (<a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+corinthians+12%3a25-27" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">1 Corinthians 12:25-27</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">).</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;">We are called by Christ to this one Body, and He expects us to be in unity with that Body (<a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=ephesians+4%3a2-6" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Ephesians 4:2-6</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). It is the place where we can use the gifts God has given us, loving and serving others without complaining or resentment (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+peter+4%3a8-11" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">1 Peter 4:8-11</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">).</span></li></ol><div style="text-align: justify;">Our journey of faith, indeed our entire experience of salvation, is intimately connected to the faith journey of all those other Christians around us. There is no such thing as being “called out of the church.” That is an impossibility. <span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">The very idea is foreign to Scripture, violates the commands of Christ, and is even a marked violation of our created nature, which again is to be communal beings. The earliest Christians did not have such an individualistic notion of their spiritual life. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">In fact, they viewed salvation as a corporate experience, and those who refused to take part in that corporate experience, meeting with other Christians, worshiping with them, bearing their burdens, challenging each other to higher standards, rejoicing with each other in times of good, and consoling and praying for each other in times of darkness, were considered arrogant, proud, and sinful. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">The Apostolic Father Ignatius, a personal disciple of the Apostle John, and a bishop and martyr for his witness of Christ wrote: “He, therefore, that does not assemble with the church, has even by this displayed his pride, and he has condemned himself.”</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Community is taken very seriously by Scripture and thus has been taken seriously by the church. Those who refuse, for whatever reasons, to be a part of an assembly should ask themselves some difficult questions. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Am I fulfilling the Lord’s commands by ignoring the community He established for my benefit? Is my choice not to attend a church based on solid scriptural principles, or is it really based on my own preferences, prejudices, or emotions? </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">If you are serious about your personal relationship with Jesus Christ, then you should be serious about fulfilling all that He expects of you, and not just the parts that you agree with, that make you comfortable and that do not challenge you to be more like Him. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">If you had a bad experience at one church, you should seek to forgive and reconcile with the offending person, not forsake the Body of Christ. Or if it is just personal preference, you must understand that you and I do not make the rules of discipleship, but Christ alone does. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">He has clearly established a community, which you and I are expected to be a part of in good times and bad, regardless of your preferences. The choice is clear: discipleship or pride.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-85383453061958148242023-03-01T16:22:00.006-08:002023-03-01T16:22:58.617-08:00The Mystery of Grace<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjf4ayFgqc6NgK_x9MbZNBJxgg5o6AHfwCdZUx93FYxRXIhHYJdbSgKCazQW5Z_lvOnShD6D4UN7SKknWq8rMEbJOmL9j1SqeVXqVLn3das9jzAMXQdK3ljnOjKSA1VlC5Fd7j0zjm_00ZSbSPchbiX5zoYQwi37vKyVMnvMhpxENZUbuHAeyXw_nx6Q/s500/pb-654644d7.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjf4ayFgqc6NgK_x9MbZNBJxgg5o6AHfwCdZUx93FYxRXIhHYJdbSgKCazQW5Z_lvOnShD6D4UN7SKknWq8rMEbJOmL9j1SqeVXqVLn3das9jzAMXQdK3ljnOjKSA1VlC5Fd7j0zjm_00ZSbSPchbiX5zoYQwi37vKyVMnvMhpxENZUbuHAeyXw_nx6Q/s320/pb-654644d7.webp" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span>We read a lot about</span><span> grace</span><span> </span><span>in Scripture. It is nearly on every single page of the New Testament. Yet few really understand what grace is and why we are given so much grace. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Grace is one of those things that can be elusive for most to define. Essentially, it is one of the ways in which God interacts with humanity. It is the unmerited love and mercy (you cannot earn it) of God given to you and me, even though we, in no way, deserve such love. In fact, grace is there for you even before you become a Christian (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=ephesians+2%3a4-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: 0px 0px transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">Ephesians 2:4-5</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">). </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The grace you receive before you are a Christian is called</span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;"> prevenient grace,</em><span style="font-family: inherit;"> since it allows you to respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ even while you are still in your sins and without justification</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Grace also helps us to grow in our inner desires to know, love, and serve the Lord, and then to act on that desire (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=philippians+2:13" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: 0px 0px transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">Philippians 2:13</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+corinthians+15:10" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: 0px 0px transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 15:10</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">). </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Furthermore, grace also reveals the forgiveness of God to us (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=ephesians+2%3a7-9" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: 0px 0px transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">Ephesians 2:7-9</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=titus+2%3a11-12" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: 0px 0px transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">Titus 2:11-12</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=romans+3:24" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: 0px 0px transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">Romans 3:24</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">) and helps us to live a holy life (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=romans+5:21" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: 0px 0px transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">Romans 5:21</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">). Nobody is excluded from the grace of the Lord. The principle is that it is undeserved. Now, I do not know about you, but I do not think I have ever met someone who either claimed to deserve the grace of the Lord or who actually does. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I know I certainly do not qualify by any of my own merits. Fortunately, it has nothing to do with your merits or mine. It is completely undeserved, which is why it is open to every man, woman, and child, as none of us is deserving of so precious a gift. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is very important that when you sense the grace of the Lord, that you do not resist it out of embarrassment, anger, or pride. Christians can indeed resist grace and even fall from the grace of God back into their old lives of sin (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=galatians+5:4" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: 0px 0px transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">Galatians 5:4</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=hebrews+12:15" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: 0px 0px transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">Hebrews 12:15</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">). </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Non-believers who resist the grace of God upon hearing the gospel have in essence refused the free gift of God, which is akin to spitting in the face of the person trying to save your life. Dr. Allen Brown, one of my mentors, teaches that people remain unsaved for three reasons:</span></span></span></div><p></p><ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 15px 30px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">They allow bitterness to grow in their hearts.</span></li><li>They indulge in physical or mental impurity.</li><li>They desire material things more than they do God and His love.</li></ul><span style="background-color: white;"><div style="text-align: justify;">The grace of the Lord is sufficient to forgive and cleanse us of these sinful attitudes, actions, and desires, but we must cooperate with that grace in order for that to happen. It is the exact same with your physician. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Your physician diagnosis you with a particular illness, and then prescribes a treatment. However, if you do not cooperate with the physician regarding the treatment, then you are simply ignoring the diagnosis at your own peril. Make no mistake; resisting God’s grace is indeed possible and has tragic consequences (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=galatians+2:21" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">Galatians 2:21</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">). </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">That resistance places us outside the protective relationship of God, and almost completely under the influence of the Adversary. And if we resist the grace of the Lord for too long, or too obstinately, there is a point where the Lord will simply cease to attempt to get your attention and allow you to have total control over your own life (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=romans+1:28" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">Romans 1:28</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">). </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I could recount many stories of people I have known throughout my life who had the opportunity to respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and either did so and then walked away or who simply refused to, even admitting they understood the truth of the gospel. In all cases, those I knew who did one or the other of these things resisted the Lord’s grace rather than cooperate with it. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My own conversion is a good example of both resisting grace and subsequently cooperating with it. As a punk in my teens, I was a pretty unruly kid. Drugs, premarital sex, parties, and little violence were all a common part of my everyday life. It was not that I had never heard of the gospel, but that I did, understood it to be true, and still went on living as if I didn’t. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was resisting the Lord’s grace. As a result, my life was spinning out of control. I found myself in the hospital twice in one year. The first time for alcohol poisoning, as I had stayed inebriated every day for about six months, and when I drank, I drank a lot. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The second time, I had a bad reaction to cheap LSD that had been laced with rat poison. So, along with really frightening hallucinations I was in severe pain. Every muscle was tightening, I could not open my mouth, my heart rate was through the roof. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The emergency room physician told me I was lucky to be alive. Again, I was resisting the Lord’s grace so intensely that He finally left me to my own sinful desires — a reprobate mind. When I finally stopped resisting, I was in a phone booth (they had those back then) on a 90-degree summer day, intending to argue with a Christian radio talk show host. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I felt the grace of God hit me like a cool breeze in that hot phone booth, and I broke down on the phone. And that is where I surrendered to the Lord’s grace. Not in a beautiful church during an altar call; not at a revival meeting with great music and speakers; not even a chapel. I was saved in a phone booth. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">And that is the good thing about grace. It works everywhere and for everyone. It is through this grace that we are justified. That is, God declares us “not guilty” of every lie, every theft, every dark thought, every premarital sexual act, every single sin, based solely on the merit of Jesus Christ (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=romans+3%3a24-25" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;" target="_blank">Romans 3:24-25</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">). It is for all of these reasons that the Lord gives us grace upon grace, upon grace, ad infinitum. It is not just because He is bored and wants to make someone happy. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is not because He does not care about sin. It is because He knows as well as we do the multitude of sins we carry in our hearts, the depth of our depravity, the sorrows of our pitiful state, and we need an abundance of grace just to make it through and serve Him with even a little success. It is all for our benefit, and we are truly needy. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ann Lamott said it well. She wrote: “I do not at all understand the mystery of grace-only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us.” That grace continues with us as Christians, as long as we remain faithful, and helps us in all of life's obstacles and trials.</span></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-27412144693451962762023-02-27T08:27:00.005-08:002023-02-27T08:27:28.443-08:00How Do I Avoid Selfish Ambition?<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOU6ZcuseXHISFNclS6D-P_MsazvQY07B8KqYnOD0pEDlskZYU3Hf7J9Sreh_qWJ0osfk1_TmP-6fWDZJ7QyFWuXaFWPr012pneAiaMCZN0kp41k9xudvfqRnmFjze6QbRbCU8uoA-Z6E7pE8x5K5MlHoXB56xsR6S5Cn3u2eey4jhoAXpARltigXmg/s900/arrogant-pride-1790-padre-art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="706" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOU6ZcuseXHISFNclS6D-P_MsazvQY07B8KqYnOD0pEDlskZYU3Hf7J9Sreh_qWJ0osfk1_TmP-6fWDZJ7QyFWuXaFWPr012pneAiaMCZN0kp41k9xudvfqRnmFjze6QbRbCU8uoA-Z6E7pE8x5K5MlHoXB56xsR6S5Cn3u2eey4jhoAXpARltigXmg/s320/arrogant-pride-1790-padre-art.jpg" width="251" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Scripture is consistent in condemning selfish ambition. Some might struggle with how to accurately determine when ambition is selfish. How do we know when our ambitions are selfish, and how do we know when they are healthy and ordered? </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">First, let’s be reminded that anything we do, any good works are nothing to the Lord (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=isaiah+64:6" style="background: 0px 0px transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Isaiah 64:6</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">). Despite our best efforts, despite all of our hard work, in the Lord’s eyes, they are all utterly incapable of justifying us before God. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, anything we do holds no real merit in the eternal sense and does not earn you points with God or men, nor mark you as more righteous than others. So, how does Scripture refer to those with selfish ambition?</span></span></span></div><p></p><ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 15px 30px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Proud, arrogant, unholy, without self-control, filled with conceit (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=2+timothy+3%3a2-4" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600; text-decoration-line: none;">2 Timothy 3:2-4</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">).</span></li><li>Those of selfish ambition seek their own interests, not the interests of Christ (<a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=philippians+2:21" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none;">Philippians 2:21</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">).</span></li><li>They bring disorder and every vile practice (<a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=james+3:16" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none;">James 3:16</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">).</span></li><li>They will be the recipients of God’s wrath and fury (<a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=romans+2:8" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none;">Romans 2:8</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">).</span></li></ul><span style="background-color: white;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Those are some pretty harsh words, but the truth can often be difficult to hear. Especially if it is exposing our own weaknesses and sins. <span style="font-family: inherit;">In contrast, Scripture says we are to be humble, truly loving and take no concern for our own self-aggrandizement or recognition. Righteous ambition is revealed as the following:</span></div></span><ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 15px 30px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">It seeks the highest good of others, with no concern for one’s own wants or needs (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+corinthians+10:24" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600; text-decoration-line: none;">1 Corinthians 10:24</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">).</span></li><li>It is not boastful and does not insist on its own way, nor is it resentful (<a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+corinthians+13%3a4-6" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none;">1 Corinthians 13:4-6</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">).</span></li><li>It bears each other’s burdens (<a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=galatians+6:2" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none;">Galatians 6:2</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">).</span></li><li>It serves not to please itself, but to build up others as Christ did (<a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=romans+15%3a1-3" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none;">Romans 15:1-3</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">).</span></li></ul><span style="background-color: white;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Each of these points us back to the character of Jesus Christ. He sought the highest good of every single man, woman, and child that has ever, or will ever exist. He did so selflessly, setting aside His divine rights, becoming a man, and delivering Himself up to corrupt, sinful leaders who mocked Him, beat him, and murdered Him. <span style="font-family: inherit;">They labeled Him a criminal when He was perfectly innocent of all sin and wrongdoing. He never complained. He did not become resentful during His passion and demand to be recognized as the Messiah. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Not once did He complain that He worked harder or deserved better. That is our example. Everything we do, every good work should be done with that same heart. This is the very heart of discipleship. Jesus made that very clear when He explained the cost of discipleship (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=luke+9:23" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Luke 9:23</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Discipleship is a daily denial of our own selfish ambitions, preferring the will of God, which is perfect, to be done in and through us at all times and in every place. There is no room for your will or my will in the temple of the Holy Spirit. Sinful, unclean things only serve to defile a holy place.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;"><br /></em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies</em><span style="font-family: inherit;"> (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+corinthians+6:19" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">1 Corinthians 6:19</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What Does Selfish Ambition Look Like?</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bob was a good guy. He had a nice family, was well-liked by his co-workers, and was considered a righteous man in his church. Bob was the guy who, when the chips were down, would always be the first to step up and offer his help. It did not matter what that required. If that meant Bob would have to give money, he gave generously. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">If that meant that he had to drive miles, he drove. If it meant that he had to work all weekend repairing a needy friend’s house in the summer heat, or helping to dig draining ditches, Bob was always there. In his church, Bob always got involved in any ministry effort that was made available to him. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">When his church arranged evangelism</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>teams,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> he was eager to be involved. They would go out every Wednesday, sharing the gospel</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> downtown. After each outing, they would gather back at church for prayer and discussion of the day’s events. Nobody was singled out for praise or a pat on the back, but everyone was thanked for their efforts. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">No medals were passed out, no trophies given, and no certificates awarded. After about three weeks Bob began to grumble about the team. “I’m the only one really doing much,” he complained. “The others come and go, but none of them is as dedicated as I have been. And do I get even so much as a little recognition in Sunday services? No.” </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bob’s attitude grew more and more negative about the evangelism team until he finally quit in righteous indignation. The pastor took Bob aside one Sunday and said, “Bob, can you tell me why you quit the evangelism team?” So, Bob unloaded. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">He detailed how he was there consistently every week, how he talked to more people than the others, how he bought his own tracts to pass out and even shared them with the others, but he was not appreciated for his hard work.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The pastor calmly listened and replied, “Well Bob, we expressed appreciation for everyone’s help. Sure, we did not single you out, but that does not mean your contribution was unappreciated. But I want to ask you about something here, my friend. What was your motivation for doing this? Was it to be in the spotlight? Did you want to be praised for your part? If that is the case, then I think you need to reflect more on the condition of your heart, because your motivation is wrong.” </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bob was upset at first and skipped church the next two Sundays. Finally, the truth of what the pastor had said to him dawned on Bob, and he returned to church and thanked the pastor for confronting his bad motivation. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">We are all like Bob at some point in our lives. We do not think we have been recognized for our hard work or talents, and we get resentful. This resentment is a symptom of selfish ambition.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, when that awful voice of disordered, selfish ambition starts chattering in your thoughts, remind yourself of your call to self-denial. Pursuit of the truth and good are to be our rule of life.</span></div></span><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin: 5px 0px 0px; padding: 10px 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">True things must be preferred to false; eternal things, to those that are temporary; useful things, to those that are pleasant. Let nothing be pleasing to the sight but that which you see to be done with piety and justice. Let nothing be agreeable to the hearing but that which nourishes the soul and makes you a better man...If it is a pleasure to hear melodies and songs, let it be pleasant to sing and hear the praises of God...For he who chooses temporal things will be without eternal things. He who prefers earthly things, will not have heavenly things”</em> (Lactantius).</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-63960154673087482002023-02-25T09:49:00.000-08:002023-02-25T09:49:01.860-08:00The Importance of Spiritual Growth<p style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Wqx9ITaDzVAYptjkrupRQyR9FdMIEhJAyg1AVmCnw9fvsIbftoKZXrkwAmLXCXHuWArCzXa5l_lAu-LwOh4fggeKxI8FSs-YEZBU1VR4bmIfEDOWagx8Z7J9njXcsSvbcim60WeFcR-gsdbjoqHX5HpeTHjYb1AVXBITEW4diZB-AE_KGaGYvSQUsA/s575/ef688f0d67ec6f9ede5287638c1b0fbc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="575" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Wqx9ITaDzVAYptjkrupRQyR9FdMIEhJAyg1AVmCnw9fvsIbftoKZXrkwAmLXCXHuWArCzXa5l_lAu-LwOh4fggeKxI8FSs-YEZBU1VR4bmIfEDOWagx8Z7J9njXcsSvbcim60WeFcR-gsdbjoqHX5HpeTHjYb1AVXBITEW4diZB-AE_KGaGYvSQUsA/s320/ef688f0d67ec6f9ede5287638c1b0fbc.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Successful spiritual life necessitates growth. Nothing that remains stagnant, never developing into maturity, can be seen as healthy and vibrant. Rather, it is dead and lifeless. It is important that we grow spiritually, and here are a few ways in which the Church Father, Clement of Alexandria, says you can do so.</span></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“The spiritual man gives thanks always for all things to God-by righteous hearing and divine reading, by true investigation, by holy oblation, and by blessed prayer. Always worshiping, singing, blessing, and praising-such a soul is never separated from God at any time.”</span></em></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">It is important for us to have a daily routine of personal prayer and devotions. You cannot claim to have a relationship with someone if you do not communicate with them. Can you imagine a marriage without communication? </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">A marriage where one spouse simply ignores the other, never asks their opinions, never comforts them when they are hurting, never offers a word of encouragement when they are down is in no wise a healthy relationship. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">In fact, it is no relationship at all. Communication is of utmost importance in maintaining a healthy relationship. This is no less true of our relationship with God. “Look to the Lord and his </span><a href="https://www.christianity.com/bible/bible-verses-about-strength-28" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">strength</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; seek his face always” (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+chronicles+16:11" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">1 Chronicles 16:11</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). You have access to God’s personal direction and insights into His will for you in all situations through prayer (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=ephesians+6:18" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Ephesians 6:18</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=james+5:13" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">James 5:13</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">This is your lifeline, so to speak. Your prayers should include not just your wants, but also praise of the Lord for who He is, and not just what He has done for you. Let Him know how much you appreciate Him just for who He is. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Do not think to yourself, “Well, the Lord knows my heart, so He knows how I feel about Him.” That sort of thinking is selfish and dismissive of your responsibility to communicate with Him. “Be joyful in hope,</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=romans+12:12" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Romans 12:12</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). Again, if we look at a marriage, many have been harmed and even ruined because one of the spouses took that very approach.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">It is not enough that God knows what is in your heart, but that you actually speak it to Him. Put your convictions into action by telling Him how incredible He is to you, how much He surprises you, astounds you, and leaves you in awe of His tremendous power and glory. “I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips” (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=psalms+34:1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Psalm 34:1</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">If it is good enough for the angels, it is good enough for you! (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=isaiah+6%3a2-4" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Isaiah 6:2-4</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=revelations+7:11" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Revelation 7:11</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">). And the most wonderful part of all is that He hears you (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+john+5:14" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">1 John 5:14</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=jeremiah+29:12" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Jeremiah 29:12</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=job+22:27" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Job 22:27</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">).</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>Daily Devotions</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Daily time in devotions is also important to spiritual growth. While prayer is certainly a component of devotions, the practice does go beyond prayer. This is the part of spiritual growth that requires us to actually listen to God in silence. “Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God” (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=john+8:47" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">John 8:47</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Taking a few moments to sit in silence and listen for God to speak to you through His Holy Spirit can bring wonderful benefits. You can gain valuable insights into your struggles, how to respond to others, your relationship with your spouse and children, etc. These insights might come as a “still small voice” in your mind, or it can come through Scripture. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">This brings us to the next component of devotions, which is reading Scripture. Daily reading of the divinely inspired self-revelation of God is a sure way to grow in the knowledge of the Lord and His will for us all (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=2+timothy+3:16" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">2 Timothy 3:16</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=psalms+119:105" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Psalm 119:105</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">That small voice I mentioned might direct you to a specific passage of Scripture that speaks directly to you in whatever situation you find yourself in.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart</em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=hebrews+4:12" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Hebrews 4:12</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">).</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">It is important that you read Scripture with the conscious understanding that you are hearing the voice of God in the words on those pages. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Thus, your daily practice of reading the Word of God is in reality a daily personal communion with the God of the entirety of creation, speaking directly to you in those pages. Do not approach Scripture as you would any other mundane textbook, but as a very real interaction with the Lord (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=luke+11:28" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Luke 11:28</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=proverbs+4:10" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Proverbs 4:10</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=luke+8:21" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Luke 8:21</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">).</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>Fellowship</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">One of the principles of human growth that has proven to be true time and time again is that who we associate with often determines what kind of person we will be. Most of us as teenagers likely associated with someone or a group of people who were less than ideal. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Many young people find themselves involved in drugs, violence, and other criminal activity as a result of peer pressure. As disciples, we must be aware of our associations. Who we choose to surround ourselves with will inevitably impact our spiritual growth. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">It is important that we diligently seek out the fellowship of other disciples since in such fellowship we find spiritual encouragement, support during times of difficulty, shared happiness in times of joy, and a community of like-minded people who are also in pursuit of the same goal as us — a relationship with God that goes beyond mere belief to experiential living. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">None of us is the Body of Christ individually — all alone. We are only that Body corporately; as we join together in our shared conviction of the person and deity of Christ, the salvation he provides, and the Way in which we should live (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+john+1:3" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">1 John 1:3</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+john+1:7" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">1 John 1:7</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+corinthians+1:9" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">1 Corinthians 1:9</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=2+corinthians+6:14" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">2 Corinthians 6:14</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=romans+12:5" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Romans 12:5</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=hebrews+10:25" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Hebrews 10:25</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">).</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>In Summation</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">As you can see, there are very concrete ways for you to mature in faith, and to pursue the Lord more diligently and deeply. If you sincerely engage yourself in these three spiritual growth practices, you will find yourself becoming more mature and the steadiness of your faith more secure. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">And the more secure your faith is, the better equipped you will be to weather the onslaughts of the Adversary and of an unbelieving world. And the better equipped you are in the face of an unbelieving world, the more powerful your witness will be for Christ, your Lord and Savior.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-89211301029894803072023-02-24T11:04:00.001-08:002023-02-24T11:04:34.843-08:00The Arrogant Christian<p style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cLxL1YDSc7S3rT4oAxK1K8ADPm9tnJbm6jbJiBcJeVzR4RP3idTumzWmlCqu8zWjJpP_ehzaUJ_cXwJbf7pJ5OO-jYhhAsBhz0w6VrmU25dwbNIgmxayrk4kb_guMOV3-abp4LPish6uQx0_hquN8M3kaovHCDuXMJotfp4OZtCavraLl_cAfhEkxA/s980/Duccio-Di-Buoninsegna-Christ-Accused-by-the-Pharisees-detail-2-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="980" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cLxL1YDSc7S3rT4oAxK1K8ADPm9tnJbm6jbJiBcJeVzR4RP3idTumzWmlCqu8zWjJpP_ehzaUJ_cXwJbf7pJ5OO-jYhhAsBhz0w6VrmU25dwbNIgmxayrk4kb_guMOV3-abp4LPish6uQx0_hquN8M3kaovHCDuXMJotfp4OZtCavraLl_cAfhEkxA/s320/Duccio-Di-Buoninsegna-Christ-Accused-by-the-Pharisees-detail-2-.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We have all encountered them. That person in the congregation or on social media who takes every opportunity to boast of their good works, while sniffing at the best efforts of others. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">They love to be there to point out your failings, to give unsolicited advice in times of personal difficulty, and always with an attitude of condescension. Yes, they are the “holier-than-thou” folks. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nothing irritates us more than when someone acts like they are better than us. I recall an incident in a small congregation I attended as a teenager, where one of the congregants (we will call him Bob) was fond of cutting down the best efforts of those around him in ministry. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">It did not matter what area of ministry or how much effort you put into it; Bob could always have done better. And he let you know in no uncertain terms. “You shared the gospel with five people at the mall? Well, when I go there I usually do twice that, and I’m not even trying hard. The Holy Spirit just brings people to me.” </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Because his fellow Christians wanted to be forgiving and Christ-like, no one ever confronted Bob on his holier-than-thou attitude, not even the pastor. One Wednesday evening several of us were talking about youth ministry at a local drug rehabilitation center, and Bob included himself in the conversation. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Harvey was sharing his success at being able to share the gospel with at least one hundred teens over the past year. While we were all happy for Harvey’s success, good old Bob just had to find fault with it. “You have been there a year and all you managed to do is share the gospel? No souls saved in all that time? In the past year, I have brought six people to the Lord. You must need to pray up, cuz something is wrong there, brother.” </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bob’s words went over like a lead balloon. Finally, I could not take it any longer. I was young, not as tactful as I am now, and just said what I thought. “Why do you insist on being such a jerk, Bob? Why can’t you just be happy for someone’s efforts once in a while? No, instead you have to be a holier-than-thou jerk.”</span></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">As you might imagine, my comments, as true as they were in essence, went over with Bob just as well as his had gone over with Harvey. Hopefully, you never find yourself responding in the way I did as an impulsive teenager, but I am certain you understand the feeling behind the response. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Nobody likes an arrogant, holier-than-thou person, and as it turns out, neither does God. Scripture is filled with rebuke for those who think themselves spiritually superior to those around them. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">If we are honest with ourselves, we all have a little bit of Bob in us. As much as we might hate to admit it, there have been times when you looked at someone who dressed in a way you disapproved of, used language in a way you found crude, was perhaps not very educated, etc., and thought yourself somehow better than they are. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Even if only for a brief moment, we all fall into this sort of thinking. It is the proclivity of fallen man to exalt himself above others. For some, it makes them feel better about their own shortcomings. For others, they enjoy the illusion of power and superiority. Jesus encountered the same thing with the Pharisees. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">They enjoyed making long, flowery, and loud prayers in front of the crowds, and wearing extra-long tzitzit (tassels) on their clothing to make sure everyone saw how they were clearly more spiritual and more holy than others. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Jesus referred to them in some fairly unflattering terms and rebuked them for making coverts who were even more arrogant and wicked than they. The entirety of </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=matthew+23" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Matthew 23</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> is taken up with rebuking their hypocrisies and warning us not to be like them. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">If we find ourselves falling into this sort of thinking, that we are somehow better than others, Paul warns us that we should remember that we are nothing (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=galatians+6:3" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Galatians 6:3</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Paul is not suggesting that we hate ourselves, but that we remember the reality that we are sinners in need of a Savior, and that we are not capable of doing anything good nor saving ourselves by our own efforts or our own attempts at righteousness (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=luke+17:10" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Luke 17:10</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=john+3:16" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">John 3:16</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=ephesians+2:9" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Ephesians 2:9</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">In fact, God is often glorified in our own weakness, since it is then that we must understand our absolute dependence on His grace</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> and mercy.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me</em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=2+corinthians+12%3a6-9" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">2 Corinthians 12:6-9</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">).</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">In fact, if we want to accurately reflect the image of Christ, we are to be meek and humble, and as Paul says, even consider others to be of greater importance than ourselves! (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=philippians+2:3" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Philippians 2:3</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">That can be a hard pill to swallow, but it is the only medicine that staves off the disease of egotism and the holier-than-thou virus that comes with it. Jesus Christ made it clear that those who want to be the star of the show, who want to be first in recognition will be the absolute last, while those who are truly humble will be given the place of honor (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=matthew+19:30" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Matthew 19:30</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; 20:16).</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>Is Humility a Weakness?</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Which will you be? Humility does not require you to have a low sense of self-esteem, nor to grovel before others. It simply requires you to accurately self-assess, realizing your state as a sinner, that your works are as filthy rags, and that the simplest, most minuscule efforts at sharing the gospel and living it are equal to the seemingly greatest efforts in God’s eyes. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">As the Church Father Clement wrote: “For Christ belongs to those who are humble-minded, not to those who vaunt themselves over the flock. The scepter of God’s majesty, the Lord Jesus Christ, did not come with an ostentatious show of arrogance or haughtiness — even though he could have done so — but with a humble mind, just as the Holy Spirit spoke concerning him.”</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-6936305121407131162023-02-23T12:28:00.000-08:002023-02-23T12:28:11.796-08:00What Does It Mean to Test Every Spirit?<p style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7UCCwX6X6CQ0U2d1OvJYCfMvPz1s-vKD3zhVqcwU3nAGPYqK8o3J0JG94gzspAmLH74cL3sPuOd4EdOY1hn3zRj5r5XVt5bq7KBdsTOfVh-bfT6DBtw_ZPtGS0DaOqkdk253SweOyw6sfEUE8oCeOrIvcYQ5eIZ23M6XeEpIyZA19u8WA3qEfESrIg/s500/dsw-19ba4ac4.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7UCCwX6X6CQ0U2d1OvJYCfMvPz1s-vKD3zhVqcwU3nAGPYqK8o3J0JG94gzspAmLH74cL3sPuOd4EdOY1hn3zRj5r5XVt5bq7KBdsTOfVh-bfT6DBtw_ZPtGS0DaOqkdk253SweOyw6sfEUE8oCeOrIvcYQ5eIZ23M6XeEpIyZA19u8WA3qEfESrIg/s320/dsw-19ba4ac4.webp" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Deception is rampant in this world. From films and television programs to university professors and politicians, if we have learned anything, it is that lies and deception are rampant. It is the same in spiritual matters. Deception abounds.</span></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world </em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">(</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+john+4%3a1-3" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">1 John 4:1-3</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">One of the tactics of demons</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> is to subtly undermine our confidence in truth. This tactic is quite effective, since if they directly assault things we hold to be true, we are more likely to respond defensively, and their plan collapses. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">However, by gently and progressively introducing the seeds of doubt and confusion with regard to a known truth, you can be moved toward falsehood without the need for combat. This was the tactic of the serpent in the Garden of Eden. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">He did not directly deny what God had commanded Eve regarding the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, but simply introduced the element of doubt. “Did God really say that?” (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=genesis+3:1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Genesis 3:1</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). The simple introduction of doubt begins to work in our imagination. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">The more we entertain the doubt in our imagination, the more a desire grows to actualize that doubt in tangible ways. This is just the way all temptation works. Once you entertain the image of whatever it is you are tempted to do, playing with it over and over in your mind, the more desire grows to fulfill that temptation.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">It is the same with doubts. The more they are entertained, the more they take root and grow into full-blown apostasy. This is why Scripture tells us it is important to guard our thoughts. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips” (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=proverbs+4%3a23-24" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Proverbs 4:23-24</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">When you fail to guard your mind, you fail to act intelligently, falling prey to disordered emotions and deceptions suggested to you by the unclean spirits that do indeed roam about seeking your destruction. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast </em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">(</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+peter+5%3a8-10" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">1 Peter 5:8-10</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">).</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Now, these doubts need not be introduced by direct demonic contact, but more often than not are introduced through various forms of media and other people. In the age of the internet, we have access to literally every sort of perversion, distraction, lie, and deception known to humanity. As we surf the web, we all encounter some aspects of each of these. It is inevitable. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">No one is immune and no mind is spared the constant onslaught of things designed to undermine truth. Many spiritual lives have been ruined, and many have lost families, and even their freedoms, to the temptations provided by the so-called “dark web.” I heard one pastor refer to the internet as Satan’s playground, and while the comment is simplistic, it does have a bit of truth to it. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">But it is not just the internet. Television and films provide plenty of imagery, which often bypasses the critical thinking side of the human mind, and enters directly into our imaginations, where again they can be entertained to such an extent, they become desires. This is not limited to just images, but ideas as well. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">It is amazing and saddening how many people get their religious and worldview concepts and opinions from film and television and embrace them without carefully examining them. The Apostle John was right on target to urge us to test the spirits. They are quite sneaky.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>Test Time</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">How do I test the spirits? First, the person, idea, or entertainment should do nothing to undermine the person of Jesus Christ. Now, that might sound simple, but it is not so easily determined. You have to examine the content of the ideas being promoted or suggested very closely. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Undermining the person of Christ is not just an attack on who we believe He is, but also on the totality of His truth. Does the person or idea deny or undermine any of the following?</span></p><ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 15px 30px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">The objective nature of truth; The objective nature of morality.</span></li><li>Natural revelation; Divine revelation.</li><li>The fact of two genders; The fact of sin.</li><li>The sacred nature of human life from conception to death; The existence of God.</li><li>Jesus as God Incarnate; Fundamental human rights.</li></ul><span style="background-color: white;">The Church Father, Tertullian, wrote on the topic of entertainment. While entertainment took different forms in his time, the principles still apply today.</span><div><br /><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">“</span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">For all licentiousness of speech, nay, every idle word, is condemned by God. Why, in the same way, is it right to look on what it is disgraceful to do? How is it that the things which defile a man in going out of his mouth, are not regarded as doing so when they go in at his eyes and ears — when eyes and ears are the immediate attendants on the spirit — and that can never be pure whose servants-in-waiting are impure? </em></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">The Apostolic Constitutions states:</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">“</span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">You are also to avoid their public meetings, and those sports which are celebrated in them…. Abstain, therefore, from all idolatrous pomp and state, all their public meetings, banquets, duels, and all shows belonging to demons.”</em></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">When examined in light of all that Scripture has to say on these and other issues, most forms of entertainment and most ideas, whether spiritual, philosophical, or political, all reveal the existence of unclean spirits behind them.</span></div></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><b>In Summation</b></span></div><div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
freely admit that testing the spirits in this way can be a daunting
task. However, if you are not willing to be diligent in something as
important as your eternal destiny, then you have to reassess your
priorities. Take stock of what you consume with your eyes and ears.
Is each and every one of them in accord with the totality of
Scripture, or are you looking the other way, as it were, on what you
perceive to be “little things” because you enjoy the television
program, movies, books, radio show, etc.? Test the spirits, that you
might be found faithful at the time of judgment.</span></span></span></span>
</p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><b></b></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-91901908353145015342023-02-22T10:18:00.001-08:002023-02-22T10:18:45.707-08:00Was the Apostle Peter Possessed?<p style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxMvBEV4lx7iFXsBtvGbcnHg6Yb1ssV2kYnpfKBMw2r11kEmSPo42AxzwNNE2sK06UmQXMDFA9sdjAPVcuV7tIzW3QB9tGk8xp85jwZ3BqJYgYB_pqwvud_W7bwB1_ipkxJuwx0ri5-47vtU91e-WQK2REIOmo68eSv-JRehStNQycavWJokc_u9VYg/s500/get-behing-me-satan-500x313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="500" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxMvBEV4lx7iFXsBtvGbcnHg6Yb1ssV2kYnpfKBMw2r11kEmSPo42AxzwNNE2sK06UmQXMDFA9sdjAPVcuV7tIzW3QB9tGk8xp85jwZ3BqJYgYB_pqwvud_W7bwB1_ipkxJuwx0ri5-47vtU91e-WQK2REIOmo68eSv-JRehStNQycavWJokc_u9VYg/w400-h250/get-behing-me-satan-500x313.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Was Peter possessed by Satan? Could it be that the foremost apostle had become that deeply influenced by the Adversary that Jesus had to rebuke him? Most of us are accustomed to thinking of a specific person or spirit being when we read the word “Satan.” </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Immediately upon hearing the word we have visions of a fallen angel, once named Lucifer, who rebelled against God, taking a third of the angels of heaven with him, and was eventually cast down to the earth. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">He is the same being we think of in the Garden of Eden, who, under the guise of a serpent, deceived Eve into rebelling against the command of God not to partake of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Still, others might get flashbacks of the movie </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">The Exorcist</em><span style="font-family: inherit;">, complete with all the spitting of pea soup and spinning head. What many fail to recognize is the use of the title “ha satan” in Scripture does not necessarily refer to a specific spirit being, such as Lucifer. For example, the Book of Job refers to a being often translated as “Satan,” and always with this capitalization (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=job+1" style="background: 0px 0px transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Job 1</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and 2).</span></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Such a translation is misleading. In the Hebrew text, the prefix “ha” in “ha satan,” would make no sense if referring to a specific person, since it literally means “the.” For example, I would not call my co-worker Shelly “the Shelly.” That would earn me a few odd looks, to say the least. I would simply call her Shelly. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">However, when Scripture uses the title “ha satan,” translators, mostly influenced by their particular theology</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">, will translate it as a specific name, rendering it “Satan.” This ignores the fact that almost everywhere else it is used it does not refer to a specific person or being; it is not a name, but it is a title or designation used for anyone who seeks to obstruct the will of God, including humans.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">David replied, “What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? What right do you have to interfere? Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? Don’t I know that today I am king over Israel?” So the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king promised him on oath. </span></em></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, also went down to meet the king. He had not taken care of his feet or trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned safely</em><span style="font-family: inherit;"> (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=2+samuel+19%3a22-24" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">2 Samuel 19:22-24</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">).</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster …Then the Lord raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom</em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+kings+5:4" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">1 Kings 5:4</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; 11:14).</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">It simply means “the adversary.” However, because we tend to translate Scripture through the lens of our theology, rather than allowing Scripture to form our theology, we develop well-meaning, but misguided ways of interpreting what we read in the Bible. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">The church has developed a faulty understanding of the title “the adversary,” assigning it to one specific spirit being, and that simply is not correct. So, how does this impact Jesus’ rebuke of Peter?</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;"><b>What is the Context of Matthew 16:23?</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns”</em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=matthew+16:23" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Matthew 16:23</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">In Matthew chapter 16, Jesus is telling His disciples what is in store for Him when He goes to Jerusalem. He is going to suffer at the hands of the religious leaders, the Sanhedrin, and eventually be put to death. The apostles are astonished at the very idea! They had traveled with Jesus throughout Israel. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">They had witnessed miracles; people raised from the dead, lepers healed, the blind given sight again. How on earth could their teacher, whom they knew to be the Messiah, go to Jerusalem, the very heart of Judaism, and be put to death for such wonderful things? “No!” Peter must have reasoned within himself. “I refuse to allow that to happen to my master!” </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">So, Peter went to Jesus and told him he would never allow such things to happen. Peter meant well, but he had no idea what he was saying. As well-intentioned as he was, he was obstructing the will of God — the very mission of the Messiah — and so Jesus spoke this famous rebuke. “Get behind me, Satan!” (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=matthew+16:23" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Matthew 16:23</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Taking into consideration what we have already discussed with regard to the use of the title “ha satan,” does it really make sense that Peter was possessed, or that he was under the influence of a demon? Not at all. Peter’s emotions had gotten the best of him. He wanted to defend His master against His enemies.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Under normal circumstances, in dealing with a merely human friend, this might be considered honorable. But Jesus was no ordinary man. He is the God-Man, the divine incarnation of the Logos</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> in the flesh. His mission required Him to suffer and die. If he did not do so, everything would remain exactly as it is. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Man would still be separated from God and salvation would be out of reach. Everything depended on Jesus fulfilling His mission, which included His own death. And Peter sought to obstruct that. Notice what Jesus says immediately after rebuking Peter. He tells him that Peter is thinking on the wrong level. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">He’s concerned with just the human issue of protecting His master. Peter has lost sight of divine things. He is not reflecting the concerns of God in his desire to thwart those who would put His master to death, but in his zeal, he is threatening to obstruct divine will. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">So, it makes perfect sense that Jesus refers to Peter as “ha satan” in this case, since Peter certainly would have been the adversary if he followed through with his desires. Jesus’ rebuke here is a wake-up call to Peter to get his priorities right, to clear up his thinking. You can I can often be the adversary of the will of God as well.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>In Summation</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">How many times have you acted against the Word of God? How many times have you lied, cheated, hated someone, gossiped, or lusted after another person or their property? None of us can say we are entirely free of having done such things in our lives. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Every single sin, every secret transgression against the will of God places us in the very uncomfortable position of the adversary of God. That is not a good place to be. Like Peter, we need a wake-up call. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">We need to be reminded that our focus has been on the mundane, the purely material or human, when it should have been on divine things, and our behavior being in accord with those divine mandates.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-39795213801212395342023-02-21T12:27:00.000-08:002023-02-21T12:27:04.675-08:00Does God Change His Mind?<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAo4KOzu7KDntQDVEln2yaoMOi5RmLUnJ7yJZLdy9zvia4jDLn4WPjPD6DMVO3dPvKJkWXUb3-HLMzxFN6FfV7TsJz1yV_vZpqycBDbQZdH4R6J5P3cF637mbVcgAKRYKkyLroezjE7-QVbjylXXr5PwTMYkCeuxFtt3DlbmYrtUuNgYRvsKQA0mwxSA/s474/OIP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="253" data-original-width="474" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAo4KOzu7KDntQDVEln2yaoMOi5RmLUnJ7yJZLdy9zvia4jDLn4WPjPD6DMVO3dPvKJkWXUb3-HLMzxFN6FfV7TsJz1yV_vZpqycBDbQZdH4R6J5P3cF637mbVcgAKRYKkyLroezjE7-QVbjylXXr5PwTMYkCeuxFtt3DlbmYrtUuNgYRvsKQA0mwxSA/w400-h214/OIP.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span>Does God change his mind? It is often thought that God changes His mind based on such scriptures as</span><span> </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=genesis+6:6" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-weight: 600;">Genesis 6:6</a><span>, “The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled” and</span><span> </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=exodus+32:14" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-weight: 600;">Exodus 32:14</a><span>, “Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.” </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Since the meaning of the word “repent” implies a change of mind, a reversal of behavior, this characteristic is often placed on the Lord God. But if God is holy and omniscient (all-knowing), why would He need to change His mind? </span></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">We know that God is absolute holiness (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+samuel+2:2" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">1 Samuel 2:2</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=isaiah+6:3" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Isaiah 6:3</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=matthew+5:48" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Matthew 5:48</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+peter+1%3a15-16" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">1 Peter 1:15-16</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=revelations+4:8" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Revelation 4:8</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">), good (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=exodus+34:6" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Exodus 34:6</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+chronicles+16:34" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">1 Chronicles 16:34</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=ezra+3:11" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Ezra 3:11</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=psalms+25:8" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Psalm 25:8</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=mark+10:18" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Mark 10:18</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">), and love (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=psalms+36:7" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Psalm 36:7</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=psalms+109:26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Psalm 109:26</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">; </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+john+4%3a9-10" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">1 John 4:9-10</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">We also know that He is omnipotent (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=jeremiah+32:17" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Jeremiah 32:17</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">), </span><a href="https://www.christianity.com/wiki/god/what-does-it-mean-that-god-is-omnipresent.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">omnipresent</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=proverbs+15:3" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Proverbs 15:3</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">), omniscient (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=psalms+139%3a1-18" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Psalm 139:1-18</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">), and omnibenevolent (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=psalms+100:5" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Psalm 100:5</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). His omniscience and holy nature are the two characteristics that concern us most in our present discussion, since, if God is truly holy and all-knowing by nature, then He cannot at any point be in error since that would be a contradiction. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">The only thing God cannot possibly do is violate His own character and nature. To give you an idea of how absurd the notion is of God being in error, imagine for a moment that you have the heaviest rock in the state you live in, and you wanted to prove this rock could float of its own accord on the local lake. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">You manage to get the rock to the shore, and you push it off the dock into the middle of the lake. You and I both know logically what would happen. That rock will sink to the bottom of the lake. No matter how much you believed it would float, it sank fast. The nature of that rock is such that it cannot float on its own accord. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">You cannot change the rock’s nature. Likewise, to suggest that God repents as we as fallen, sinful humans do is to also suggest He is capable of error. And if God is capable of error, then He is not absolute holiness, good, or love. And He certainly is not omnipotent, since the power of sin is stronger than He is. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">He also cannot be omnibenevolent since the presence of error in His character would make it possible for Him to be spiteful and cruel with no reason behind it whatsoever. In essence, He would cease to be God and would be no better than any of us. Do you see the problem this whole issue brings up?</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">And yet Scripture tells us that God somehow repented! Are we getting mixed signals? Is Scripture fallible in its data? The answer is no to both questions. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">What is happening here is a failure of human language to adequately express spiritual truth, and without proper study, we can find ourselves in some very troubling places, theologically speaking, not to mention on a personal spiritual level. As R.C. Sproul wrote: “The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy. Not that He is merely holy, or even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy.” </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">So, let’s find out where we go wrong on this.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>What Does Sacred Scripture Say?</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=exodus+32:14" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Exodus 32:14</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">: "So the Lord changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people." </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=john+1:14" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">John 1:14</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father full of grace </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">and truth." </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=malachi+3:6" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Malachi 3:6</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">: "I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed."</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;">Throughout the New Testament, we find numerous warnings to repent of our sins, and accounts of those who repented and were saved. Indeed, it is very likely that you, my reader, heard the word repent at some point before your conversion, used as an admonition to you to turn away from sin and wrongdoing and embrace Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">The word repent finds its way into sermons regularly, in Christian hymns and contemporary music, films, etc. We associate the word with an admonition to stop sinning because we have been widely accustomed to doing so. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">In other words, we understand the word only as it applies to us, to fallen humanity in desperate need of a savior. However, God is not in need of a savior, and Scripture informs us that He has no need or reason to repent. “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=numbers+23:19" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Numbers 23:19</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">So, what is going on when other verses tell us that God repented? This requires a bit of discernment as to the intention of the various authors in their use of the word. The word itself merely signifies a change in approach or behavior. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">On its own, it carries none of the meanings we apply to it, since we generally understand it, as noted previously, in terms of fallen man. When used in reference to God, it means that He has made certain accommodations for humanity as a benefit of His grace. John Calvin, the noted Reformer, wrote this:</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">“The repentance which is here ascribed to God does not properly belong to him but has reference to our understanding of him. For since we cannot comprehend him as he is, it is necessary that, for our sake, he should, in a certain sense, transform himself. That repentance cannot take place in God, easily</em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> </span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">appears from this single consideration, that nothing happens which is by him unexpected or unforeseen.</em><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">The same reasoning, and remark, applies to what follows, that God was affected with grief.</em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> </span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">Certainly, God is not sorrowful or sad; but remains forever like himself in his celestial and happy repose: yet, because it could not otherwise be known how great is God’s hatred and detestation of sin, therefore the Spirit accommodates himself to our capacity.”</em></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>In Summation</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">In short, God does not repent in the way we humans do, but simply makes accommodations for us, seeking our highest good, even when we deserve nothing but His judgment and wrath. He is perfect, holy, good, all-knowing, and is completely immune to all error and sin. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Anyone who suggests otherwise is engaging in false teaching. When we see the word repent used in reference to God’s course of action, it simply means that he accommodates us in order to encourage us to seek His will, do what He has commanded of us, and come to a knowledge of salvation through and in Jesus Christ.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262326253864688012.post-77524623373830736612023-02-20T11:55:00.003-08:002023-02-20T11:55:51.019-08:00How Do I Remember God is in Control?<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9j63uVzjJOP25ixP8f0DoNFnupYQBfQqdEKaBVeJewacVxwLx28ugZHmozX1GA4i6m5BKm_7Z7UIe8oQ4A2605N90BHtNaxBpGr21EFHxqIl1X4BItz_fqYGJ9E1dTKZi-NZUlwvhOx5G1tjmYt1w44NVo3bnZVDSFRp9bgYKQfpGWDooewbFqNR7Q/s500/ec-4c81df04.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9j63uVzjJOP25ixP8f0DoNFnupYQBfQqdEKaBVeJewacVxwLx28ugZHmozX1GA4i6m5BKm_7Z7UIe8oQ4A2605N90BHtNaxBpGr21EFHxqIl1X4BItz_fqYGJ9E1dTKZi-NZUlwvhOx5G1tjmYt1w44NVo3bnZVDSFRp9bgYKQfpGWDooewbFqNR7Q/s320/ec-4c81df04.webp" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span>Most of us get worried or anxious in times of difficulty. When the ripcord of life snaps, we panic and often make decisions that are not the best for us. How do we remember that God is always in control? </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am going to share a little practical advice here, so this article may not be as theologically heavy as others I have written. The reason is that this question is one of practicality.</span></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">How do we maintain our cool when it looks like we are not going to be able to pay the bills this month, when the car breaks down and we have no viable means to get to work and back, or when we get a frightening diagnosis from our physician? </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">These are down-to-earth issues that demand more than cute epithets or theological terminology thrown at them. Worry and anxiety are probably two of the most serious and widespread problems we face today. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">The Center for Disease Control reports that between August of 2020 and February 2021, the percentage of adults experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorder increased from 36.4% to 41.5%. The increases were most notable in those 18 to 29 years of age. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Clearly, we are worrying and growing anxious at increasingly high rates. Christians are not immune to these issues, since we all live in the same society, share the same workplace and home concerns, and are constantly assaulted with a barrage of negative news from social media and mainstream news outlets. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">There just doesn’t seem to be any rest from it all. It can be easy to feel helpless. As Corry Ten Boom wrote: "Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength." </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">As someone who has dealt with these issues myself, I want to share what I have found works for me and those with whom I am associated.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>1. Unplug</b>-</span>Take time away from all media each day. Turn off the computer and television, shut off your phone, and simply unplug from the matrix for a while. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">I do so for about two hours each day, but your time may be different. Anything from one hour to a whole day will be very beneficial to decrease your intake of negativity, stress, politics, and work-related data.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>2. Creation Time</b>-Take some time away from media to enjoy the Lord’s creation. A long walk through a quiet park, a stroll down by the lake, or just sitting on a bench at the riverfront enjoying the relative silence is helpful. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">When you do so, be mindful of nature. Notice everything from the sounds of the breeze through the trees, the birds singing, the various textures and colors, etc. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">While you are there, remember what our Lord Jesus Christ said about the birds and other creatures (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=matthew+6%3a26-30" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Matthew 6:26-30</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). God takes care of each and every creature and plant in His creation, and you are much more important than they, so let the worry go.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>3. Journal</b>-Keep a journal of those issues that you worry about each week. Pray about each of them, and then when the Lord helps you resolve those issues, go back and write how each worked out. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Then the next time you worry over some problem, go back and look over the old entries and how each one resolved itself as a reminder that the Lord has brought you through so much already, and that your worrying is really you just ignoring or forgetting the Lord’s track record.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>4. Challenge Your Worries-</b>When you find yourself thinking negatively in any situation, challenge those thoughts immediately. Do not allow yourself to buy into the false notion that if everything is not perfect, then this equals failure and disaster. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Do not get caught up in rash generalizations, such as if “I did not get (fill in the blank), then I never will!” Avoid seeing impending doom where there is no evidence of such. Never catastrophize. When you feel anxious give yourself some positive self-talk (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=psalms+94:19" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Psalm 94:19</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">).</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>5. Positive Self Talk</b>-The best positive self-talk is based on Scripture. Memorize verses like </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=isaiah+48:10" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Isaiah 48:10</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> and </span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=psalms+46:1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Psalm 46:1</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Repeat them to yourself when anxiety threatens to overtake you, and then remind yourself that you are okay, that the Lord is in control, loves you, and is going to work everything out for your good. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Repeat to yourself the Bible verses and positive reinforcements throughout the day, whether you’re feeling anxious or not, to keep them in your mind, since we already have so much negativity coming at us.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>6. Get Active</b>-Do not allow yourself to sit and stew over the negativity that assaults your mind and spirit. As soon as it starts, engage your body and mind in some other activity. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Clean the house, do some yard work, volunteer to help a neighbor — anything to get your mind and body engaged in other activities than negative thinking. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">As you do so you can sing a worship song that you find particularly comforting, repeat the verses you memorized for positive self-talk, etc. The key is to engage both body and mind in positive action.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>7. Prayer & Thanksgiving</b>-When you sense the negativity coming and the anxiety building, pray and thank the Lord for all the things He has brought you through in the past. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Repeat them in detail to the Lord in prayer, noting how in each situation He proved faithful to bring you through it (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=philippians+4%3a6-7" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Philippians 4:6-7</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). Remember that anxiety is a form of fear, and you have nothing to fear when you allow God to have control of your troubles and cares (</span><a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/search/?ver=niv&q=1+john+4:18" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600;">1 John 4:18</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">).</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>8. Talk to Someone-</b>Talk to your pastor or another trusted believer about your struggles. Never keep things bottled up inside but turn to those in the church who you know have demonstrated spiritual maturity, wisdom, and care for their fellow Christians, and be willing to accept their positive biblical input. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">This is one of the vital aspects of the Body of Christ — that we support each other and encourage each other in Christ during the most difficult times of life. Ask them to pray for you, and if you feel comfortable enough doing so, ask that the entire congregation lift you up in prayer. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">You need not state the specific need for everyone to hear but simply ask for prayer for an unspecified need. God knows what you need. You will experience some very powerful blessings in your life from just this one simple thing, which unfortunately most do not avail themselves of.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>Remember Who is in Control</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">I am confident that with these basic responses to anxiety you will begin to understand more the provision of the Lord and grow in your trust and confidence in His loving care in all your struggles.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">“Knowing that God is faithful, it really helps me not to be captivated by worry. But knowing that He will do what He has said, He will cause it to happen, whatever He has promised, and then it causes me to be less involved in worrying about a situation” </em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">(Josh MacDowell).</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">The Lord is indeed in control, my friend. I promise you this, as I have experienced it first-hand. He loves you, guides you, and wants the highest good for you and your family. So instead of allowing worry and anxiety to overtake you, give it to Him, since He always knows what is best for you.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0