As a Christian, you are a fully credentialed ambassador of the empire of Jesus, High King of the universe. God has entrusted to you the message of reconciliation, the good news that Jesus reconciles rebels to God. That’s as true from 9-5 Monday through Friday as it is for any other hour of your life. When you go to church, you’re an ambassador for the King. When you hang out with friends, you’re an ambassador for the King. When you go to work, meet with a client, participate in a meeting, work on a project, drive a nail, create a blueprint, welcome a customer, or write a white paper, you’re still an ambassador for the King. -The Gospel Coalition blog
A good ambassador isn’t a one-dimensional fact-machine. He’s a well-rounded diplomat, able to present the entire truth of the Gospel to the world. – Melinda Penner
Yesterday was the opening game for our home NFL team, affectionately known as the “Cardiac Cards” (Arizona Cardinals). True to their name, they held on to beat the Seattle Seahawks 20-16 in a nail biter that went down to the last play with about 20 seconds left. The atmosphere was electric and we came away with a win. My ears are still ringing from the noise in University of Phoenix stadium. This morning, I found myself waking up and thinking about similarities between being a committed fan (follower) of a football team and being a Christian.
Do I defend my team in the face of opposition?
It is easy to be a fan of my home team the Cardinals when I’m at the game. Everyone has their Red (or Black) jersey on with their favorite player’s name on the back (mine was a black Larry Fitzgerald jersey). Some even go so far as to wear elaborate costumes with face paint. It is easy to boldly speak up for my team in the “non-hostile” environment of the game surrounded by probably 80% Cardinals fans. Every touchdown or first down that occurs, the fans in my area are “high fiving” each other. Every ruling that goes against our team, the fans loudly protest with boo’s (whether the ruling was justified or not). But how about when I’m in a “pluralistic” environment at the lunch table the next day at work where there are Seahawks fans and other “non-believers” who make disparaging remarks about my team? “They got lucky”. It’s the “same ‘ol Cards”. They’re definitely going to lose their division! None of the experts give them any chance to win. Will I defend my team? Do I know enough about my team to defend it? Can I talk about the players and their stats? Can I talk about my teams upcoming opponents and why we are positioned to do well against them? Can I make a case that mathematically, we are still “in the playoff hunt”? Do I care enough about my team to defend them? Do we have enough committed fans out there who can defend the cause of our team?
There was a point in time back in 2008, when the Cardinals had made it into the playoffs and generally the commentators and everyone that I ran into was saying that they were going to be a “one and done” in the playoffs. But to nearly everyone’s surprise, the Cardinals won their first playoff game at home against the Atlanta Falcons. While I was waiting in line at a movie theater later that week and I heard some people laughing about the pitiful, insignificant Cardinals and how their doom was certain. I found a way to interject into the conversation and make a defense for the possibility that the Cardinals could at least make it to the NFC championship game at home, if we could beat the Carolina Panthers on the road and the Philadelphia Eagles could win their game. These people laughed at me and continued to mock and disrespect the Cardinals who had “limped” into the playoffs. I handled it graciously and after making my defense, just said “we’ll see what happens”. Oh how I wished I could’ve been there with those mockers when the post season for the Cardinals played out exactly as I’d described to them and we ended up in the Super Bowl! Unfortunately, we didn’t win the Super Bowl, but that’s a topic for another day… In any case, the point was that I encountered opposition and mocking of my team and I spoke up in the context of a “hostile” situation and made a defense. I did this because I had faith/belief in the team and I had also prepared myself to be able to give a defense for this hope. Because I was prepared and knew that my argument was sound and reasonable, I was able to give the defense with “gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who spoke maliciously…would be ashamed of their slander”. I was able to give a defensewithout getting defensive.
In the same way, I’m on a Christian team that appears from the world’s perspective to be a losing team. It is easy to defend my team when I’m with the other “fans” at Church, but the real defending is needed the following morning at the lunch table at work or school. Am I willing to speak up when someone pokes fun at my team or lobs out some half-truth or fallacy ridden argument against the Christian worldview? Am I willing to declare the allegiance to my team – to go public with my support of them, no matter what it costs me in ridicule, mocking, exclusion, etc? The thing about the Christian faith is that we already know who the winner is – we’ve seen the highlights of the game before the game is even finished!
In order to be able to make a defense of the team, we need to intimately know the team and all the “stats”. We need to know the game plan. We should be comfortable enough to give the basic arguments of the Christian worldview so that when someone raises an objection we can counter it with gentleness and respect. I really like what the apostle Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:24-26:
“And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”
Notice that it doesn’t say that when people oppose you, that you keep your mouth shut, “keep the peace” and later go on and pray for them. Yes, we do need to pray for them! But we also need to gently instruct them – provide a defense – an answer! Know what you believe and why you believe it.
Enthusiasm Level
It is amazing when I go to a football game and I see the level of enthusiasm. People in the stands are “sold out”, passionate and completely uninhibited when demonstrating their support for their team. Both in the way they dress and the way they act. They cheer when the team does well. They raise their hands, shout, clap, scream and jump up and down. They really like to make it difficult for the opposing team to take additional territory from us – especially when it is 3rddown and we have a chance to make the other team punt the ball back to us. On those 3rddown plays, everyone gets on their feet and makes noise. Sometimes spontaneous chants will start up in the crowd – “Let’s go Cardinals” or “Defense – clap, clap – Defense – clap, clap”. Part of this cheering is to disrupt the other team, yes, but a large part of it is to show our love and commitment for the team. The team is playing the game – there’s not much we can do as fans to affect the outcome of the game, but to show up at the game, cheer and show support.
In the same way, as Christians, are we enthusiastically supporting our team? If we can show our love and support of a football team, how much more we should be able to show our love and support for our Creator and Savior! We’ve been given the free gift of eternal life! We have a Coach who has a game plan that cannot lose! Why can’t we let go and show more emotion in our response to God? It is very convicting to me to compare my response at Church with my response at the football game. I pray that I will be enabled by the Spirit to worship in spirit and truth and to give God the honor He deserves. I love the words of Revelation 4:11 – “You are worthy our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power. For You created all things and by Your will they were created and have their being.” A football team (or its players) is not worthy to receive glory and honor, yet, we as fans give it, when instead, we should be giving the true glory and honor to the only One Who deserves it! Consider the words of King David 1 Chronicles 16:23-29:
Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. Forgreat is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations,ascribe to the LORD glory and strength,ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
And expect that uninhibited praise to our God may invite scorn from others, similar to what David experienced (2 Samuel 6:14-16):
David, wearing a linen ephod,danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD withshoutsand the sound of trumpets. As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she sawKing David leaping and dancing before the LORD,she despised him in her heart.
Commitment Level
At some point in the history of your “fanship“ of a certain team, you may just make the decision that you’re a lifelong fan. You don’t care how bad it gets, or how many losing seasons you have to endure. You’re not going back, you’re not “falling away”, you’re committed for life.
If we can be committed, lifelong fans of a lousy football team, how much more should we be able to, as a committed followers of Jesus Christ, be committed for life to our Creator and Savior? There is no turning back. No matter difficult it gets. Jesus said we would have trouble in this world. In John 15:18-19, He says:
“If the world hates you, keep in mind it hated Me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you”
Interest vs. Apathy
Some people couldn’t care less about football (especially those of the female persuasion :)). When the conversation turns to football, they just tune out. When asked why they don’t like it, they often times report that they don’t understand the game. It just looks like a bunch of grown men out there crashing into one another – kind of like the gladiators of Roman times. Or they are just bored by it.
In a similar way, as sold out followers of Christ, people often don’t understand why we are so into this – why we have a “one-track mind”. The Bible is just a boring book to them. The Christian life of death to self and letting Christ live through you does not sound appealing to them. Often times, they are just apathetic – “that may be your thing, but it’s not mine” – “I’m glad that works for you, but it doesn’t work for me”. But sometimes they are downright opposed to your message.
Imagine that you lived in a relatively small town. According tothis articlethe population in Jerusalem during Jesus’ time was about 30,000, which by today’s standard is somewhere between the population of Kingman, AZ (28,279) and Marana, AZ (35,232). So, a relatively small town by today’s standards…
In that town, imagine there was a man (let’s say his name was Ralph) who was kind of a counter-cultural figure – very controversial – but very charismatic and had a large following among the people. This town was a very corrupt town and Ralph was upsetting the practices of those in political power and starting to turn the people against them. Although Ralph believed in the form of government that was established, he realized that the politicians in this government were corrupt and that change was needed. These powerful politicians were able to use the media to spin Ralph’s story and sway public opinion against him by charging him with an unsolved murder – a murder that he didn’t commit – to get him to be condemned to die. They claimed to have physical evidence that Ralph committed the murder. Although he was innocent, those in power had control over the police department and judicial process through corrupt officers and judges who could plant evidence and offer “justice” to the highest bidder (pictureOperation Greylord-style corruption in Cook County Court system in Chicago in the 1980’s)…
While Ralph is still alive, his followers gave a press conference and told the media that even if they execute him, Ralph had told them that he would not stay dead, but rise again in 3 days. So, the time comes and he is given lethal injection and is pronounced dead. His followers are discouraged and when interviewed say that they had hoped that he was for real, but now they know that they were wrong, since he has in fact died, so they’re ready to just move on with their lives. They feel like they had believed in a lie. His family buries Ralph. But the corrupt politicians, having seen the previous press conference by Ralph’s followers and the prediction, post an armed guard at the grave and make sure that it was secure and there would be no “grave robbery” going on.
Three days later after Ralph’s funeral, there is a local TV news alert saying that one of the friends of Ralph has seen him alive walking around in the neighborhoods of his town. More and more reports start flooding in that Ralph is seen around – in fact, he was seen at the house of a few of his followers and there is a report of him having a rally with over 500 people present (most of whom are still living, though some have died). People are writing in to the opinion column of the local paper about their encounters with Ralph and even some of the “non-corrupt” members of the police force have documented witnesses coming forward and giving eyewitness testimony that corroborates the reports of appearances of Ralph. The politicians that had him sentenced to death confirm that the grave is in-fact empty and the body of Ralph is nowhere to be found. So, the politicians know that their problems with Ralph are not over yet and they have to do something. The politicians give a press conference and say that Ralph’s body is indeed missing from the grave, but that his followers had stolen his body. But the media reports that in prior interviews with the followers, they seemed to have given up on Ralph and it seems unlikely that they would’ve gone to the trouble of stealing the body to make it look as if he had risen from the dead, when they knew for sure that was a lie.
In light of the allegations that the followers of Ralph stole the body, the media sought them out to interview them. By this time, these followers had already seen Ralph alive and were really fired up! In fact sometime after seeing Ralph, the spokesman for the followers had reportedly been in the city center square – only about a mile from where the execution had taken place – proclaiming to a crowd of several thousand that Ralph had risen from the dead and was seen alive. This spokesman, let’s call him Peter, said that he and the other followers wereeyewitnessesto Ralph being alive. When interviewed by the media, Peter strongly defended Ralph, knowing that there would be consequences when the corrupt politicians saw this interview on TV, but Peter was fearless. He and the other followers of Ralph were absolutely transformed – not like the discouraged followers having a pity party that were interviewed immediately following Ralph’s execution. Rather they had a certain confidence – even boldness – in the face of mockery and persecution for their belief that Ralph had risen from the dead. And as a result of talking to those thousands of people in the town square, a large majority of them believed the eyewitnesses and now were followers of Ralph as well.
By this time, the corrupt politicians were furious and knew they had to do something immediately before these followers “turn the world upside down”. They had the police go pick them up and throw them in jail overnight to give them a scare. Then before releasing them, gave them a stern warning not to continue trying to convince everyone that Ralph rose from the dead. But never-the-less, these guys were so convinced about what they’d seen, that they went right back to the town square and kept telling anyone who would listen about the facts of this case and that the corrupt politicians are just trying to cover this up.
Needless to say, the politicians by now had had it up to their heads with this non-sense. It was time to put a stop to it once and for all. So they brought the guys in now for a real scare. They told them that if they didn’t stop what they were doing, they would end up like Ralph – dead. They said they had plenty more unsolved murders that could be pinned on them as well. But to their surprise, the followers of Ralph were not fazed by their threats. In fact they said that it would be an honor to die for Ralph in the service of his cause.
By this time, the followers themselves had become quite famous and had gained a following of their own. Although they always pointed people to Ralph and did not accept any praise or glory for themselves, the people continually followed them, listened to them and considered them leaders of a new movement. They even had been called “the Way” and Ralphians. Unfortunately, the fame of the followers did not result in any personal gain or benefit to them. As had just been communicated to them by the politicians, if they continued to spread this information about Ralph, they would in-fact pay the ultimate sacrifice for it. Yet they continued to spread the message both by speaking and the written word.
Finally the politicians decided to act. One by one, they rounded up the followers, charged them with false charges and had them executed. Before execution, they were all given a chance to recant the story about Ralph, but none of them did. They proclaimed that as truth until they were executed. Because of their bold witness about Ralph, the followers continued to increase and the facts about Ralph which were circulating around in writings from the followers were collected into a single book. No one, to this day has been able to debunk the facts about Ralph and his being dead and rising again…
Americans seem to have a tendency to distort “holidays”. Consider the following examples:
Christmas– All about Santa, Reindeer, Elves, Presents and food. Not so much about the Savior coming into the world.
Easter– All about the Easter bunny, eggs and candy, not so much about the Savior who died on a cross in our place taking the punishment we deserved and the rising from the dead proving that He is God.
Memorial Day– just a long weekend to start the summer. Not so much about all of those who have died to protect the freedoms that we enjoy today.
Independence Day– fireworks and cookout day. Not so much about celebrating the birth of a great nation founded in the providence of Almighty God by Christians. Why have we chosen to sing the first verse of the star spangled banner only rather than maybe the 4thverse, which contains these words:Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hathmadeandpreservedus a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
Thanksgiving– turkey and football day. Not so much about what Abraham Lincoln said it should be:“…set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens…”
Then I come to Halloween. Is it a holiday? The word holiday once meant “Holy Day”. For sure Halloween is not a “holy day”. No matter where you stand on the topic of Halloween, I’m sure you’d agree with that. The question to me is whether it is worth celebrating. Most of the other holidays we have seem to be worth celebrating, even the so-called Hallmark holidays (Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, etc) as well as the ones mentioned above. They all have merit. But Halloween, at least the way it is celebrated in the U.S., seems not worthy of celebrating. The “dark side” of Halloween seems to focus on:
Fear
1 John 4:18 says “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
2 Tim 1:7 says “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
Death / Decay (undead zombies who can’t reach the afterlife, graves, etc):
2 Tim 1:10 says “…the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
1 Cor 15:55 says “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
Rom 8:21 says “…the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay…”
Dark spiritual forces
Eph 6:12 says “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against thepowers of this dark worldand against thespiritual forces of evilin the heavenly realms.”
So, while I fully support the idea of kids dressing up in costumes and walking around to get candy (which is precisely why “Trunk or Treat” exists), I don’t think that the “dark side” of Halloween is worth celebrating.
As I contemplate yesterday’s election results this morning, I reflect on what the Word of God has to say about this topic and I take comfort:
Daniel 2:20-21: and said: “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons;he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”
Daniel 4:17b: …the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men
2 Chron. 7:14: if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Ps. 33:12a: Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD
Proverbs 21:1: The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.
Ps. 22:28: for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.
Ps. 47:8: God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.
Ps. 118:8-9: It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.
Isaiah 33:22: For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us.
Mat. 22:21: “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
John 18:36: Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
John 19:10-11: “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
Romans 13:1-7: Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, forthere is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
1 Tim. 2:1-2: I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone– for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
Titus 3:1: Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good
1 Peter 2:13-14,17: Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right…Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
We must always remember that God is on the throne and these results do not take Him by surprise!
Evidence must play a role in faith. As J. Warner Wallace says, at the point the evidence trail ends, you must “step off” in faith. Faith is what covers the gap between the end of the evidence trail and what you believe.
Yesterday, I was in a conversation with someone who seemed to place a greater emphasis on “spiritual witness” than on evidence. I asked, “What if you were walking along and found a bank statement that had your name printed on it and indicated that you had a $1,000,000 balance in the account? Prior to finding this, you had no idea that you had a million dollars. Would you investigate the authenticity and verify the legitimacy of that document before you started celebrating and spending the money? Or would you just trust the feeling that this was true and never verify that it was really true?” Now, as I think of this, there is even a better analogy. How many times have you gotten an email (or even “snail mail”) indicating that you’d won a huge sum of money or a trip or something else? Did you immediately trust that it was true based on your feelings? Or did you rather investigate if it was really true?
Of course, the answer to all these questions is that you wouldn’t just blindly trust, but you would investigate. We’re not going to just believe we’ve hit the jackpot without having some pretty good evidence that it is true. In the same way, in matters of great importance like the Creator God and your eternal destination, you should have good reasons (other than just feelings or “spiritual witness”), that the object of your faith is real. I’m not talking about conclusive proof, but rather evidence that this belief is true beyond areasonabledoubt.
Are we to have a “blind faith” or a reasonable faith?
Did biblical authors provide evidence for belief?
Did the apostles use/teach apologetics?
Did Jesus use logic, debate and reason?
Can God use apologetics to draw people to Him?
What common questions and objections are raised by non-believers?
What is Apologetics?
Greek word “apologia” means to make a defense
apologia found 8 times in New Testament
Defense against questions, objections & attacks:
– From outsiders: atheists, agnostics, skeptics, etc.
– From those who claim to be insiders: heretics, scripture twisters, etc.
Equipped believers can use apologetics to effectively demonstrate that the Christian world view is consistent, rational, and corresponds with reality.
Apologetics in the Bible
We are commanded to defend our faith:
1 Peter 3:15-16 (…always being ready to make a defenseto everyone who asks …)
2 Timothy 2:24-26 (…Those who oppose him hemustgently instruct…)
Colossians 4:5-6 (…know how to answereveryone…)
Jude 1:3 (…exhorting you tocontendearnestly for the faith…)
God Values and Provides Evidence
Acts 1:3 (…he showed himself to these men andgave manyconvincing proofsthat he was alive…)
Acts 17:30-31 (…havingfurnished proofto all men by raising Him from the dead)
Romans 1:18-20 (what may be known about God…God has made it plain to them)
John 20:24-29 (Jesus made a post resurrection appearance just for Thomas, the skeptic)
We are not to have a blind faith, but a reasonable faith using our God given intellectual abilities
Matthew 22:37-38 (1stand greatest commandment includesloving God with your mind)
1 Cor 15:17 (If Christ has not been raised,your faith is futile…) Paul pins our faith to a historical event.
Acts 26:24-29 (during Paul’s defense to Festus he says that his faith is “true and reasonable”)
1 Thess 5:21 tells us to “Test everything. Hold on to the good”
Jesus tells us in many places to look at His miracles as evidence for belief in Him (John 5:36, 10:25,32,37-38, 14:11,29, Mat 11:2-5)
Eph 2:8-9 says we are saved by gracethroughfaith– the biblical definition of faith is found in Heb 11:1, which includes the phrase “evidenceof things not seen” (thinkforensics– a murder investigator has evidence of a murder he has not seen)
Some biblical authors wrote their books as evidence for belief
John 20:30-31 (Jesus did many othermiraculous signsin the presence of his disciples…But these are written that you may believethat Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God…)
Luke 1:1-4 (…I myself havecarefully investigated everything…it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account …so that you mayknow the certaintyof the things you have been taught)
Paul used/taught apologetics repeatedly
Acts 9:22,29 …baffled the Jews…proving that Jesus is the Christ…Hetalked and debated…
Acts 17:2-4 …Ashis customwas…reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining andproving…Some of the Jews werepersuaded…
Acts 24:24-25 …he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus…he reasoned…
Acts 25, 26 Paul was making a defense in front of Felix, Festus and Agrippa (who says in 26:28 “…You almostpersuademe to become a Christian…”)
Philippians 1:7,16,27 …defending and confirming the gospel…I am appointed for thedefense of the gospel…contendingas one manfor the faith of the gospel
1 Corinthians 15:3-8,17 – This is a series of apologetic arguments about historicity/post-resurrection appearances of Jesus and then pinning the validity of our faith to that historical event of the resurrection
Titus 1:9 …refute those who oppose it[the trustworthy message]
Add’l passages: Col 4:5-6, 2 Cor 10:3-5, 2 Cor 5:11
Peter used/taught apologetics repeatedly
Acts 2:32 …we are allwitnessesof thefact
Acts 3:15 …We arewitnesses
Acts 5:32 …We arewitnesses…
Acts 10:37-41 Youknowwhat has happened throughout Judea…We are witnesses… witnesseswhomGodhad already chosen
1 Peter 5:1 …witness of Christ’s sufferings…
1 Peter 3:15 …always being ready to make a defense…
2 Peter 1:16 …we were eyewitnessesof his majesty
The apostle John used apologetics
John 21:24 This is the disciplewho testifies to these thingsand who wrote them down
1 John 1:1-3 …we have heard…we have seen with our eyes, whichwe have looked at and our hands have touched…we have seen it and testify to it…We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard
Rev 1:1-2 …Hemade it known… John,who testifies to everything he saw…
Rev 22:8 – I, John, am the one whoheard and saw these things…
Jesus used logic and debate in His teaching and while defending Himself
Mat 6:24-34
Mat 7:9-11
Mat 12:26-29
Mat 21:23-27
Mat 22:23-34
Mat 22:41-46
Mark 2:16-17
Mark 2:21-22
Mark 8:36-37
Mark 9:39-40
Luke 6:1-4,39
Luke 11:11-20
Luke 13:10-17
Luke 14:1-6
Luke 20:1-8
Luke 20:23-25
John 5:39-40
John 5:46-47
John 10:24-39
John 12:7
John 13:8-10,19
John 14:5-11
John 14:28-29
John 15:18-25
John 18:33-37
John 20:24-29
John 21:22
Let’s look at a few examples
Mat 12:22-28 – Jesus is defending Himself against those who say He is casting about demons by Beelzebub
Mat 21:23-27 – Jesus is defending Himself against the chief priests and elders when they asked Him by what authority He was acting.
Luke 13:10-17 – Jesus is defending Himself against the synagogue ruler when He healed a woman on the Sabbath. The end result was that (v17) “…all his opponents were humiliated…”
God can use apologetics to draw people to Him
God grew the early church using apologetic arguments of the apostles:
– Acts 1:15=~120
– Acts 2:41=~3,000 (after Peter’s sermon in Acts 2:14-40)
– Acts 4:4=~5,000 (after Peter’s miracle in Acts 3:6-10 and following sermon in Acts 3:12-26)
Blind faith wasnotbeing preached during those sermons
Common Questions/Objections
What evidence is there to believe that God exists? (Rom 1:20, Ps. 19:1-3)
Are there non-biblical accounts that confirm that Jesus existed? (e.g. Josephus, Tacitus, Pliny, etc)
What evidence is there for the resurrection? (1 Cor 15:3-8 and F.E.A.T.)
Did Jesus actually claim to be God? (John 10:30-33)
What evidence is there that the Bible is God’s word (and by implication other “scriptures” are not God’s word)? (Is. 53, Is. 7:14, Zech. 9:9;12:10, Micah 5:2, etc)
If God is good and all powerful, why is there evil and suffering in this world?
Conclusion
Apologeticsis notunbiblical
Apologeticsiscommanded
Apologetics is not only forsome, but commanded forall
God can use apologetics to draw people to Him
Blind faith is not encouraged in the Bible, but reasonable faith
“It is a fool who says. ‘I do not tell my children what to believe’, because if you don’t, someone else will. The drug addicts are commanding your children and your children are obeying. The lust mongers are commanding your daughters and your daughters are obeying. For God’s sake YOU command something!” – Dr. Tony Evans,Portrait of a Real Man Part 1,Portrait of a Real Man Part 2,Portrait of a Real Man Part 3
I believe that God chooses us. I believe that we choose God. Sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it?
Ephesians 1 clearly states that God chooses us:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Forhe chose us in him before the creation of the worldto be holy and blameless in his sight. In lovehe predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will– 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves…11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will
And many others communicate that same truth (Rom 8:29-30,33-34, 10:20; Prov 16:9; John 6:37,44,65,17:6,9,13:18,15:19; 2 Thess 2:13-14; 1 Peter 2:9; 2 Peter 1:3; Eph 2:3-10; Rom 11:2-7,29; 1 Thess 5:9; 1 Pet 1:1-2; Luke 10:22; Mat 11:27; Mat 24:22,24,31; Col 3:12, Jude 1; Mark 13:27; 1 Thess 1:4; Rev 17:14; Titus 1:1; 3:3-7).
Additionally, it is true that we are born spiritually dead and at enmity with God and that satan blinds us (Rom 8:7; 1 Cor 1:18; 1 Cor 2:14; 2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:1). There are probably many more passages that support these assertions.
I do believe in election/predestination, because it is in the Bible. The following verse has been particularly informative in understanding how the process works:
Romans 8:29-30 – Forthose God foreknew he also predestinedto be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
It seems to say that God knows ahead of time who’s going to believe and those are the ones He predestines (this depends on God having what is referred to as the “middle knowledge” – He knows not only the actual future, but all possible futures). However, this predestination is from God’s viewpoint. But from man’s viewpoint, since God said the He does not desire anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance and “whosoever will may come”, we should be aware that the “offer” is out to everyone – from our point of view, there should be no predestination. From man’s point of view, everyone needs to make a choice. And we are all responsible for our choice.
Romans 2:14-15 says something very interesting about the unconverted/unregenerate:
(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, sincethey show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)
So according to this passage, the unconverted/unregenerate know they are doing wrong… If that is true of the Gentiles, then it is certainly true of the disciples. They had no excuse from a human point of view for not believing and/or listening to what Jesus told them about what was going to happen to him in Jerusalem. In addition, no one has any excuse for not believing there is a God (Rom 1:20).
We choose God and that we’re responsible for our choice or lack thereof. And it is true that God uses other humans and their persuasion and apologetics to open people’s eyes. Here are some scriptures that I’d like you to consider that cause me to believe that we can choose God:
Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.
Isaiah 55:6-7 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
Amos 5:4 This is what the LORD says to the house of Israel: “Seek Me and live”
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and thatHe rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
Romans 10:13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Acts 16:31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved–you and your household.”
Acts 17:27 God did this so that men wouldseek him and perhapsreach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
Acts 14:1 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. Therethey spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed.
Acts 18:4 Every Sabbath hereasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuadeJews and Greeks
James 4:8,10 Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded….Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up.
Joshua 24:15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, thenchoose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
1 Kings 18:21 Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions?If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing.
Proverbs 28:5 Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully.
Ps 119:30 I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws.
And even though the TULIP acronym (from the 5 point Calvinist) teaches Irresistible Grace, consider Luke 13:34:
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, butyou were not willing!
And from John 12:
37 Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: 40 “He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn–and I would heal them.” 41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.
I think Dr. Norman Geisler provides a great treatment of this topic in this great series of videos explaining why he is not a 5 point Calvinist:
This is 9 videos of around 7-8 minutes each which will “auto-play” in sequence. The video and audio are out of sync, but the audio is clear. He makes his point from Scripture with humor and humility, acknowledging that this is an “intramural” debate, with born-again, true believers on both sides of the issue.
Here an analogy I thought of. God is like an employer who offers an unconditional job offer. The potential employee didn’t even apply for the job, but once he finds out about the offer that has been extended to him, he can choose to accept or reject the offer. No matter how attractive the offer looks and how much the potential employees are persuaded by others, many choose to reject the offer.
I do not claim to understand this topic fully and certainly will not in this lifetime. The Bible teaches that both are true – God grants repentance and faith, but man is responsible for choosing to repent and believe (Mk 1:15).
Feathers are too dissimilar to scales
– Scales are sheets that cover the body – feathers are more like hair follicles
– Reptiles shed their skin including scales all at once in one large piece – one event. Birds lose feathers one at a time.
– Feathers are well designed for flight – interlocking barbules which close on the down stroke so as to be impenetrable to air and provide lift for the bird and open on the up stroke to allow air to flow through to make it easier to lift up the wing.
Dinosaurs are reptiles, which are cold-blooded (ectothermic) and birds are warm-blooded (endothermic).
Birds have avian (flow through) lungs, while dinosaurs do not.
“3.5 billion years ago, they (the first cell) do something extraordinary: they copy themselves and the cell to create a perfect clone”.
Now, assuming that the first cell did come into existence by unguided, natural processes (which is itself highly improbable as the video admits), why did it “decide” to copy itself? How many times did it try copying itself before the process worked perfectly? Going back even further, why did the first RNA strand “decide” to repair itself (which is not covered in the video)? There is no evidence presented in the video for the first cell division. It’s just thrown out there with no backing evidence – a “just so story”. Granted, this is a ~3min video with no time to present the full case, but I’ve seen quite a few of these types of presentations on TV for public consumption, but unfortunately, you don’t see dissenting views such asDarwin’s Dilemmapresented for public consumption as well.
As I’ve seen a few movies recently (The Magic of Belle Isle, Trouble with the Curve, The Last Song and others – even Beauty and the Beast), I started to reflect on a common plot of these movies. It starts off with the building of a character you’ll want to hate. In the above movies, the bad character was played by Morgan Freeman, Clint Eastwood, Mylie Cyrus and “The Beast” respectively. Abrasive, bad attitude, not very likable at all… The character confirms your assessment of him/her with every action. The character becomes so bad, it makes you cringe. Then, sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly and dramatically the character changes and starts to soften their heart. By the end, the character becomes downright likable often bringing some viewers to the point of tears when they consider magnitude of the character’s transformation. It seems that the depth of depravity the character sunk to actually made you rejoice with greater joy when you saw their transformation.
I sometimes wonder if God has the same plot in some of our lives… I’m sure if you’re a Christian reading this, you have people that you’re praying for that they would be saved. Maybe they are very far off from God right now – living “in the world”, maybe even in the depths of depravity and celebrating it, even bragging about it. But the story of their lives is not ended yet. In Romans 8:28 we read that “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Maybe, just maybe, God is letting them stray from Him so that in the end, He will be able to bring glory to Himself by creating another trophy of His grace. Just maybe…
Consider the apostle Paul. He was one of Christianity’s biggest persecutors. In Acts 26:9, when speaking in front of Agrippa Paul said “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.” Likewise, in 1 Corinthians 15:9, he said “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” And in Galatians 1:13, “For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.” In fact in Galatians 1:22-24, he goes on to say “I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: ‘The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.’ And they praised God because of me.” I wonder how many people were praying for Paul and hoping that he would be saved and transformed? How sweet do you think it was for those that were believers, knowing of him, and seeing him transformed and born again? It must have been pure elation! Only God could take an enemy of Christ and turn him into one of his leading followers and witnesses.
So, let’s not give up too quickly and become discouraged when those we love are far from Christ. If God could transform Saul of Tarsus into the Apostle Paul, He certainly will have no trouble bringing back those we love who’ve strayed far away!
This past Friday, I went out to lunch with this associate of mine who is a skeptic (here is the post where I talk about our first conversation: https://1peter41216.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/conversation-with-a-skeptic/). This was as a result of him talking with me one day while we were in line at the cafeteria. He was bringing up all these objections about Christianity (in a rapid fire fashion) and I said that this is probably not a good place or time for us to have this conversation. I suggested we go out to lunch some time. So he sent me a calendar invitation and after one cancellation, we were finally able to do it this past Friday. Initially, he said he was real busy and maybe we should just go downstairs to the cafeteria, but I said that we won’t be able to talk there, let’s go out – we can make it at a “semi” fast food place. So I suggested Espo’s, this “hole in the wall” Mexican restaurant where you walk up to the counter to order your food.
On the way over there, we were talking about work and then started to talk about some more personal stuff (hobbies and family). He was relaying how his life has totally changed since he got married and had kids. He has no time anymore for himself. At this time, I felt it was a good time to get into spiritual topics. I started off by saying (in reference to the comment about putting family above his own interests) that a Christian gives their life to Christ. That started the spiritual part of our conversation. What follows is what I can remember of the conversion. The topics are not necessarily in the exact order we covered them in and the wording may not be exact, but this represents the general flow of the topics we talked about.
Skeptic:He has a big problem with Hypocrites in the Church; he said that I’m only one of about a handful of Christians he’s ever met that seems to be authentic.
Me:I thanked him and said that hypocrites grieved me as well.
Skeptic:He was talking about tragedy in the world and people dying.
Me:I replied that in the Christian worldview, people don’t die; they just change locations (either heaven or hell).
Me:I asked him why he has rejected Christ.
Skeptic:
He said “I haven’t really rejected Christ, I just lack faith.”
He also said that “Christianity is the new kid on the block.” We’ve had religions for thousands of years before it. What should make me think that this new kid on the block is the right religion?
Me:I replied that just because it came along later doesn’t mean it is false. You have to evaluate the claims of Christ and come to your own conclusion.
Skeptic:He said that he wished Christianity was true.
Me:So, I asked him, “If you found out that Christianity was true, would you become a Christian?” (the answer should’ve been an immediate yes)
Skeptic:He hemmed and hawed, never really gave an answer. But then, oddly enough, he started talking about the rapture of all things… (he has some Church background as a youth) He was fired up about the rapture, he said it would be really cool.
Me:I suggested you should believebeforethe rapture happens – don’t wait until it happens!
Skeptic:He said he would like to be able to take retribution against all the bad things that are happening in the world – he wished God would (can’t remember the exact words) authorize/empower/allow him to take revenge.
Me:I told him that no Christian is allowed to take revenge – God says “’Vengeance is mine’ says the LORD. ‘I will repay’”
Me:Forgiveness – we talked about this after the talk about vengeance. I brought up the example of the Amish in Ohio when someone came into their community and killed a bunch of people and how they just forgave them. I brought up Luke 6:28 where Jesus says – Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
Skeptic:He said “could you really forgive someone who did that (murder, rape) to your own family”?
Me:I acknowledged that it would be very hard if it was just me, but Christians have Christ living in them and through them by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is only by the power of Christ that I could forgive. Also, it is not like you’re forgiving someone to their face who doesn’t think they’ve done anything wrong. You forgive them completely and unconditionally in your heartandin prayer before God, but you don’t communicate that forgiveness to them face to face until they acknowledge what they’ve done as being wrong (until they repent). Otherwise your act of forgiveness would be taken as an insult by someone who is proclaiming their goodness and innocence. I also brought up where Jesus was hanging on the cross and the Roman soldiers were below Him and He said “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”. If He would’ve just said to the Roman soldiers “Hey you guys, I forgive you for nailing Me to this cross”, they would’ve just said, hey I was just doing my job bro! But Jesus said this forgiveness out loud so that others could hear it but not directly to the perpetrators. And I also relayed the story about the thieves hanging on the cross beside Him and how one was cursing and insulting and the other acknowledged that Jesus had not done anything wrong and asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom and how Jesus responded “Today, you will be with Me in paradise”.
Skeptic:He brought up bad design (he said “Intelligent Design” is a joke). He gave all these examples of things gone wrong in our world (e.g. cancer) and various examples of “bad design”.
Me:I said that “bad design” is not “no design”. And you can’t really know if you have a bad or good design unless you know the intent, requirements and constraints of the designer. If I wrote some software, you might look at the code and say that is rotten. But maybe it does exactly what I designed it to do for reasons that you are not aware of.
Skeptic:He asked me what I thought about homosexuality
Me:I stated that I thought that is no worse than all of the other sins. All of humanity are sinners in need of a Savior. I admitted that I’d lied and lusted too. I’m as guilty before God as the homosexual. We’re all in the same boat – we’re lost without Christ.
Skeptic:Talked about some Native American tribe that went underground during some disaster and talked to the “ant people”. I think he was trying to draw some kind of parallel between this and the New Testament authors.
Me:I think it was at this point that I communicated to him that the New Testament consists of 27 books written by 9 authors over a period of somewhere between 30 – 60 years (within the lifetimes of those who’d witnessed these events). These were all people who either had direct experience with Jesus or interviewed those who did. All but 1 of them went to their deaths proclaiming what they’d seen and heard. All they would have to do is recant and save their lives but they didn’t. How can 9 guys keep a conspiracy/secret under this kind of pressure for that long? The authors of the New Testament did not gain power, money or sex from writing what they wrote. Instead they were chased around and persecuted and eventually killed for what they were proclaiming. Why would anyone knowingly die for a lie? I brought up about suicide bombers who die, but they don’t know for sure that what they’re dying for is true. These people lived, walked and ate with Jesus for 3 years while He was on earth. They certainly knew whether it was true or not. I even relayed how Paul, when he was speaking before Festus (a ruler) who’d accused him of basically being crazy, said that he was not “mad” but what he was saying was reasonable and true and that these things had not been done “in a corner” and it couldn’t have escaped Festus’ notice. I also shared with him about how over 500 people had seen Jesus after He’d risen. I shared Acts 1:3 “After His suffering, He showed Himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.”
Me:I talked about how we all have the same evidence (beginning of the universe, fossils, archeology, etc.).
Skeptic:He had a problem with God’s sovereignty and how Christians use that concept in whatever way suits them. For example, if someone is trying to get pregnant and they finally have a baby, they claim that God gave them the baby, but if something bad happens, they are not likely to claim that as something God did to them. He also talked about the girls that were held by that guy and raped for 10 years.
Me:
I stated that sin entered the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden and after that everything doesn’t work the way it should, there is a curse on the creation.
I also talked about a biblical example where things looked really bad, but God turned it around for good. I relayed the story of Joseph, which culminated in Genesis 50:20, where Joseph said “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done; the saving of many lives”.
I re-iterated the point that God can take sinful actions and use them to fulfill His purposes. He’s like the master chess player, whatever move you make, He is able to make the necessary counter moves to achieve “checkmate”.
Skeptic:He had a problem with God having Sovereignty and humans really being free.
Me:I gave him an example of being on a large ocean liner going from New York to London. On that ocean liner, you’re free to go wherever you want and do whatever you want. You have freedom within the ocean liner. But you can’t change the fact that the ship is headed to London. You can’t get off the ship and you can’t change its direction. In the same way, we were all born into a certain circumstance, with our particular parents in our particular location in the world and with our genetic code and physical characteristics. I will never be an Olympic athlete. Some things are just impossible for me based on the hand I’ve been dealt. That doesn’t mean I’m not free. I’m able to make free choices every day. The fact that God knows what I’m going to do before I do it does not mean I’m not free.
Me:I told him that I was really happy that we could have this conversation and be calm and not hostile or argumentative. He said that the problem was that most Christians are pushy and trying to persuade you of their view and convert you. He acknowledged that I probably would be happy if he agreed with my view as well. I then asked him why he thought I’d be happy. He replied that he assumed that I thought it would be “better for him” and make is life more “fulfilling”. I replied, that while I think that is true, that is not why I would want him to agree. But rather, it is because I believe this worldview to be true beyond a reasonable doubt. I can’t prove that God exists or that Jesus is who He says He is any more than he can disprove those things. But I can provide a lot of evidence that supports those assertions.
Overall, it was a really great conversation. We ended up and shook hands and both said that we should do this again sometime. I truly hope that we will. I hope that I’ve put a pebble in his shoe… And I pray for this person that God would use what I shared with him to consider the claims of Christ and to put his trust in Him.
I had lunch with a skeptic yesterday. It was a great conversation and we both enjoyed it. So I wrote down all I could remember (his objections and my answers):
There are a ton of hypocrites in the Church – more inside the Church than on the outside (Tim/Tammy Fay, Benny Hin, Jerry Falwell, etc…)
Answers I gave
Not everyone who professes to be a Christian is a Christian (Jesus said by their fruits you will know them)
Jesus reserved his most condemning rebukes for hypocrites – I cited some of the stuff out of Matthew 23 and the “Pharisees with flowing robes” stuff.
No one is perfect – we are all sinners and Christians are in the process of being transformed by God. However if a person stubbornly persists in sin and is unrepentant about it, that is probably a good sign they are not a Christian. However, I am not the judge of people, only God knows the heart of each individual.
God becoming man (how could an Infinite God send a man to earth?)
Answers I gave
If you wanted to get to know an ‘ant’, how would you do it? Could you do it in your present form? No, you’d have to become an ant to really know ants. Jesus became a man to be like one of us (Heb 4:15-16), show us the way, seek and save us since we were lost (Luke 19:10). We discussed this analogy quite a while – he seemed to like it (he said “it works for me”).
Christianity is the “new kid on the block” in terms of religions, why would I listen to it (Hinduism has been around for thousands more years)?
Answers I gave
Well actually, it is not the new kid on the block. Islam started around 600AD and Mormonism started around 1820AD.
(I also wanted to give an additional answer, but we changed subjects – Islam and Hinduism do not teach the correct view of Jesus, so I would have a problem with them for that reason)
I as a father couldn’t hurt my child, how could God send us to Hell? He said that God is supposed to be our Father, and we are supposedly created in His image, so how could He do that (not sure I remember the exact wording):
Answers I gave
God will respect the right of a person to reject Him. If a person wants nothing to do with Him during their life on earth, He will not drag that person into heaven for all eternity to worship Him and live with Him. So the person that rejects God for His whole life will receive his wish and be separated from Him in a place called hell.
He countered that a good parent would not do that. To that, I responded with an example of a run away. For example [name with-held] (a guy we both know at our work) – his daughter essentially ran away to Mexico with his ex-wife. She is 16, so [name with-held]couldlegally take action to bring her back. But she would end up resenting him and ultimately, she would probably just run away again. [name with-held] knows what is best for her (to be in America with him). He knows that she will have a hard life in Mexico and that her education will not be as good. Yet, he is not going to try and force her to come back. In the same way, our heavenly Father knows what’s best for us, but we think we know more than him. At a certain point, He will no longer try to pull us back to Him. He won’t override our free will.
I also explained how the message of the cross is central to Christianity. The cross is where God’s Justice and Love intersect. God is a just Judge, so He can’t let sin go unpunished, but He loves us so much that He doesn’t want to punish us. So He sent His Son to earth to live the perfect life and then to be our substitute and pay the penalty for our sins. Here is where I gave the gospel presentation and told him how sinful humans can be forgiven for their sins and receive the free gift of eternal life if they repent and place their trust in Jesus.
Why do I need a book to tell me what’s right and wrong?
Answers I gave
You don’t – God has written the law on every man’s heart. Man was created in God’s image having the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 1:26-27; Rom 2:14-15).
The idea of “3rd party forgiveness” (I think that is how he phrased it) is abhorrent/disgusting/revolting to him. For example, if someone rapes his daughter, then apologizes to God and receives forgiveness, that is not “just” – he sinned against me, so asking and receiving forgiveness from God is just wrong. I think he also mentioned about last minute conversions of people who have been sinning their whole life and also he talked about people who view forgiveness as kind of a get out of jail free card where they know God will forgive them, so they just sin anyway.
Answers I gave
God is the One who instituted the law (e.g. 10 commandments) and He is our creator, so ALL sin is ultimately against Him. The person needs to ask for both horizontal (to the person they harmed) and vertical (to God) forgiveness
Also, God knows the person’s heart and whether they truly have repented. I asked him if he’d ever heard of repentance or knew what it was. He replied yes and that there’s much too little of it. I explained the biblical view of repentance to him.
Why are Christians so unforgiving?
Answers I gave
I quoted this Scripture to him: Jesus said “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Mat 6:14-15). So, this is one of the core attributes of a true Christian that they are supposed to be very forgiving (not perfectly, but increasingly)
I also told him about the parable of the unforgiving servant and how that relates to Christians who’ve had all their sins forgiven and yet won’t forgive someone when they sin against them. That this is a core characteristic of Christianity.
The Bible was written by uneducated, primitive people who were afraid of nature (lightning, death, etc.) and needed an explanation and comfort
Answers I gave
Even if the message of the Bible (including forgiveness and life after death) is comforting, one should not believe it unless it is true – unless you have good reasons for believing it.
He had some history in the Church (youth group) – Mom was southern Baptist (previously J.W.). He had good friends at church, but started to see how people acted compared to what they professed with their lips and came to the conclusion that it was not true. He also knew the Pastor’s kids and they were very rebellious and it struck him that they were that close to someone who’s supposed to be a real Christian, yet, they were putting on an act to make the parents believe they were good and behind their backs, they were living a life that did not match up with their profession. He also noticed that when he went to Church where people were supposed to be focused on God, they were more concerned about gossiping (who was wearing what, who did what, etc.).
Answers I gave
i. To all of this (including the “Christian leaders” who are hypocrites), I responded that it grieved me as well. I think people that profess to be Christians, yet act like non-believers do much harm to Christianity and to people with a worldview like you, who look at those people and don’t know how it (Christianity) could be true.
ii. Specifically regarding the “Christian leaders” who are hypocrites, I mentioned that there are Christian leaders who are good role models and are really striving to practice what they preach and live lives of integrity. Unfortunately, they aren’t “news worthy”, so you don’t hear about them as much, if at all.
He had a problem with God’s omniscience vs. man’s free will – doesn’t that mean that our actions are already determined if God knows in advance what we’re going to do and He can’t be wrong?
Answers I gave
I talked about how we are “stuck in time” and God is eternal (outside of time), so He can see it all at once, whereas we cannot and it is very hard for us to fathom being able to know the end from the beginning, but that doesn’t mean it is not possible. God can have foreknowledge of events without overriding our free will.
I also talked about the concept of the “middle knowledge” of God. He knows not only the actual future as it will play out, but all possible futures (e.g. if person X living in the jungle would’ve believed if he had heard the gospel, but person Y would NOT have believed).
He also said a crucial moment for him was when he envisioned 2 soldiers in opposing fox holes in a war both praying to God for an opposite result and he realized it couldn’t be true.
I also gave my testimony how for 37 years of my life I acted like God didn’t exist and then at an Easter Sunday service my eyes were opened. I went through a lot more than that.
A man died and went to heaven and he saw 2 lines. One line said “Predestined” and the other line said “Free Choice”. So, being a good 5-point Calvinist, he got in the predestined line. And he worked his way up to the front and the angel in charge said “Why are you in this line?” He said, “Well, I chose to be here.” The angel said, “Well, this is the wrong line. The free choice line is over there.” So he moved over to the other line and he worked his way to the front of the line and the angel at the desk said, “What are you doing in this line?” He said, “Somebody made me come here.”
Taken from “Why I Am Not A 5 Point Calvinist’ – By Dr. Norman Geisler”
If the story of Christ is like the Super Bowl, then Christmas is the opening ceremony (the coin toss if you will). Good Friday is like the 2 minute warning and the opposing team has just scored what would be the winning touchdown. We think there’s no way our team could pull out a victory. Easter Sunday morning is like 2 seconds left no chance to win and our team receives the kickoff 8 yards deep in the end zone and the kick returner does the impossible weaving his way through all the defenders scoring the winning touchdown as time runs out. We as fans go from despair to absolute elation. Following the football analogy, I guess Hebrews 1:3b (NLT) describes the equivalent of the awarding of the Lombardi trophy:
After he died to cleanse us from the stain of sin, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God of heaven.
Of course all analogies break down at some point. Christ was not involved in a game, and if you can call it a game, the outcome of it is far more significant than a football game – our (eternal) lives!
– H – Hear the Gospel (Romans 10:14,17; Acts 17:32-34)
– E – Engage your Heart, Soul AND Mind (Matt 22:37) AND
– E – Evaluate the evidence (John 10:37-38; Rom 1:20; Ps. 19:1-3)
– A – Admit you’re a sinner (Rom 3:10-11,23; Eccl 7:20; John 8:24)
– R – Repent of your sins (Luke 5:32; Mark 1:15; Acts 17:30)
– T – Trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior (John 3:36; Acts 4:12,16:31)
The definition of justification: it is the sovereign act of God whereby he declares righteous the believing sinner while still in his sinning state. It doesn’t mean that the believing sinner stops sinning – it doesn’t even mean that the believing sinner is made righteous in the sense of suddenly becoming perpetually perfect. The sinner is declared righteous.
Ponder this: if the Father is satisfied with his Son’s full payment for sin, and we are in his Son by grace through faith, then He is satisfied with you and me. How long must Christians live before we finally believe that?
Legalism is an attitude, a mentality based on pride. It is an obsessive conformity to an artificial standard for the purpose of exalting oneself. A legalist assumes the place of authority and pushes it to unwarranted extremes.
Legalism: the manufacturing and manipulation of rules for the purpose of illegitimate control. Perhaps the most damaging of all the perversions of God’s will and Christ’s work, legalism clings to law at the expense of grace, to the letter in place of the Spirit. – Daniel Taylor
A Theology that rests its salvation on one ounce of human performance is not good news, it is bad information. It is heresy. It is antithetical to the true message that lit the spark of the Reformation: Sola fide – faith alone.
A Salvation that begins with God’s love reaching down to lost humanity and is carried out by Christ’s death and resurrection results in all the praise going to God. But a salvation that includes human achievement, hard work, personal effort, even religious deeds distorts the good news because man gets the glory, not God. The problem is, it appeals to the flesh.
Grace says you have nothing to give, nothing to earn, nothing to pay. You couldn’t if you tried!
Allow the quickening power of God’s grace to awaken within you a hunger for Liberty. Those who let freedom be taken from them not only embrace heresy, they live under the thumb of grace killers who love to control and intimidate.
You want to mess up the minds of your children? Here’s how- guaranteed! Rear them in a legalistic, tight context of external religion, where performance is more important than reality. Fake your faith.Sneak around and pretend your spirituality. Train your children to do the same. Embrace a long list of do’s and don’ts publicly, but hypocritically practice them privately …yet never own up to the fact that that it’s hypocrisy. Act one way but live another. And you can count on it emotional and spiritual damage will occur.
There came a day when an eternal Emancipation Proclamation was made known throughout the heavens and all the way to the pit of hell – “the sinner is officially set free!” It is the announcement that originated from Christ’s empty tomb on that first Easter, the day our great Emancipator, Christ, set us free. Doctrinally, the word is redemption. He redeemed us.
Christ came on the scene and he saw every one of us on the slave block – lost, miserable, spiritually useless, and unable to change ourselves or escape from the bondage of our master. Moved by compassion and prompted by love, He, in grace, paid the price to free us. The price was His death. By doing so, He said to every one of us, in effect “You don’t have to live under your former master any longer. You’re free. You’re free to serve me for the rest of your life.”
[Suggested prayer:] Jesus you are my Lord and Savior. I am your child, liberated and depending on your power. Therefore, Christ, this is your day, to be lived for your glory. Work through my eyes, my mouth, and through my thoughts and actions to carry out your victory. And, Lord, do that all day long. When I face temptations I will present myself to you and claim the strength you give to handle it. Sin has no authority over me any longer.
Being creatures of habit, we still prefer the security of slavery to the risks of Liberty. That is why the slaves stayed on the plantation, and that’s why we continue to be sin-conscious even more than Savior-conscious. We know deep down that he lives within us, that he has redeemed us, but most are at a loss to know how to get beyond the fear, failure, shame, confession syndrome. How is it possible to break the habit of serving the old master and start enjoying the benefits of being free under the new one?
Christ died for us on the cross. He was raised from the dead for us at the tomb. When we believed in the Savior’s death and resurrection, we were dipped into the same scene. Our identity was changed. We didn’t feel it, we didn’t see it, we didn’t hear it, but it occurred, never the less. When we came to Christ we were placed into him as his death became ours, his victorious resurrection became ours, his “awakening” to new life became our “awakening”, his powerful walk became our powerful walk. Before we can experience the benefits of all that, we have to know it.
Our adversary does not want us to think like this. He would erase grace immediately if he could. But since he cannot, his strategy is to do everything in his power to deceive us into thinking like slaves. Why? Because when we start operating like Free men and women, our old master can no longer control us.
Grace can be and sometimes is abused. By that I mean exercising one’s liberty without wisdom, having no concern over whether it offends or wounds the young and impressionable fellow believer. But I must hasten to add that I believe such restraint is an individual matter. It is not to be legislated, not something to be forced by someone else. Limitations are appropriate and necessary, but I fail to find in Scripture any place where one is to require such restraint from another. To do so is legalism.
The best restraint is self-restraint that comes from the inner prompting of the Holy Spirit through the person and presence of Jesus Christ in each individual life. It’s been my observation over the last 30 years that the vast majority of believers need to be freed, not restrained. Our job is to free people, God’s job is to restrain them. God is doing his job much better than we’re doing ours.
Before Christ we had no choice. Sin was our one and only route. All of life was marked by unrighteousness. Once we came to the cross and gave the Lord Jesus the right to rule our lives, we were granted a choice we never had before. Grace freed us from the requirement to serve sin, allowing us the opportunity to follow Christ’s directives voluntarily. So as long as we do this, we will not sin! But as soon as you or I compromise with his mastery over us, the old master stands ready to lure us into sin.
Carnality occurs when a believer deliberately operates in the strength of his or her own will, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge wrong in choosing to walk contrary to the teachings of Scripture. The prompting of God’s Spirit are ignored his disobedience becomes a lifestyle.
Grace comes to us in 2 dimensions, vertical and horizontal. Vertical grace centers on our relationship with God. It is amazing. It frees us from the demands and condemnation of the Mosaic Law. It announces hope to the sinner – the gift of eternal life, along with all its benefits. Horizontal grace centers on our human relationships. It is charming. It frees us from the tyranny of pleasing people and adjusting our lives to the demands and expectations of human opinion. It gives relief–the enjoyment of freedom along with all its benefits. It silences needless guilt and removes self-imposed shame.
This eruption provided remarkable insight into the great Flood of Noah’s day, for it produced geologic products and landforms that mirror those stemming from the Flood. Its results included:
Up to 600 feet of water-deposited sediments, which look strikingly like those found worldwide in the greater geologic record;
A deep, eroded canyon through those sediments that has been dubbed the “Little Grand Canyon”;
Fresh basalts that are dated by radiometric means to be over two million years old;
A log mat of about four million trees, a forest that was catastrophically ripped from the ground and is now floating in a nearby lake;
A thick peat layer accumulating under the mat that is poised to become a coal deposit;
Upright floating logs that have the signature appearance of the Petrified Forest at Yellowstone National Park.
Consider that most of the damage done by the 1980 Mount St. Helen’s eruption was water related, not volcanic. The glacier on the mountain’s summit suddenly melted, sending avalanches of water and debris cascading down the mountainside, depositing thick, water saturated sediments on the lower slopes and throughout the drainage basin…the eruption was so well observed. Earth features that had been considered to have taken long ages to be accomplished were seen to happen rapidly, almost instantaneously.
Conversation at work with a skeptic/agnostic and (possibly) a deist…
An associate and I were making small talk at my desk. The topic came up about feeling old. I made the comment that he is younger than me (I’m 50 and he’s 40 something) and we talked about things that make you feel/look older:
Smoking
Eating bad
Lack of exercise
Stress/worry
He admitted that smoking and stress were issues for him. He started talking a little about his family stress (his divorce, the issues with his daughter, etc). He commented about some book he’d read that had 3 life principles (Try your hardest [may not be 100%], don’t take it personally, something about not making assumptions???). He said he liked the book because it was not “religious”. So, I said that just because something was “religious” doesn’t mean it can’t have some good practical advice for living. He agreed. He said though that the only thing he doesn’t like about the religious books is how they attempt to persuade/convince. At this point I asked him if we could get out of the office for a short walk so that we could discuss this more openly. So we did. I asked him (with regard to the comment on persuasion) how he felt about a doctor who tried to persuade his patient that he had cancer and that surgery was needed otherwise he was going to die? Or how he felt about a lawyer who would try to persuade his client that the charges he was facing would result in prison time if he didn’t accept a plea bargain? I said that it is actually an act of love and care for the person that causes a Christian to persuade or convince someone to make a decision about Christ. He indicated that those other situations about the doctor and the lawyer were a lot more clear and indisputable than the situation regarding Christ. I asked him consider the consequences of finding out that he is wrong about his views on Christianity. Think of the day you die and you find out you were wrong. I don’t want that to happen to you. I just want him to be able to hear all the evidence I’ve heard and make a decision for himself. I believe that Christianity is true beyond a reasonable doubt. I’m convinced it is true by the evidence and also because of my personal experience with Jesus – I trust him. I’m not trying to elevate myself above anyone else, I’m not trying to get more people on my side or a notch in my belt or anything, I just have concern for the destiny of those who don’t know Christ based on what the bible says about what’s going to happen to them when they die – I mentioned hell. He said at that point that he’d prayed to God in the past and “nothing happened”. (I should’ve found out what he prayed!) I mentioned that even if you don’t think anything happened, you need to look into the evidence and see if it is reasonable to believe that there is a God.
Then we got onto the topic about whether Jesus existed. He said that since this all happened so long ago, he didn’t think that we could rely on the records we have – that they would’ve been corrupted or changed over 2000 years. I explained that the amount of time that had passed shouldn’t matter. Does he think George Washington existed or Abe Lincoln? I asked him if he thought that 2000 years from now, should the people living then question whether Barak Obama was president in 2013? He replied yes, if the records were missing. I mentioned that more non-biblical authors wrote about Jesus within 150 years of his life than the Roman emperor (Tiberius Caesar) at the time (10 vs. 9). If you include the biblical authors, then it is actually 43 vs. 10! He seemed to accept that. I went on to explain that the bible was written by 40 authors over 1500 years from all walks of life. And the new testament specifically was written by 9 authors over a period of about 50 years. And all of those new testament authors except 1 were martyred for what they proclaimed about Jesus. All they had to do was recant and they would’ve saved their hides. Again, he did not dispute this. I also made the case for the resurrection indicating that Jesus existed, died on a Roman cross and his tomb was empty 3 days later (even Bart Ehrman agrees with that). Skeptical people (like James the brother of Jesus) were transformed after that. He didn’t dispute any of this.
When talking about the Bible, he brought up “Yeah but what about all those miracles, like walking on water, etc?” I then said that if there is a Creator of the universe (or multiverse or whatever), that would he agree that Creator would be unimaginably powerful, intelligent, immaterial and outside of time? He agreed. He even mentioned that Stephen Hawkings arguments hadnotconvinced him that there was no need for a creator. So, I reasoned that the biggest miracle of all has already occurred – the creation of the universe from nothing. So, after that, every miracle recorded in the Bible is at least possible, since God created everything and was the one who instituted the laws of physics therefore it is reasonable to conclude that he can control the laws of physics. I admitted that many of the miracles recorded in the Bible seem unbelievable, but you have to read them in the context of knowing that there is a God who created the universe to start with, then they don’t seem so impossible. Also, knowing that Jesus was resurrected from the dead validates his claims to be who he said he was (God) and he validated that the old testament was the word of God. He validated the creation story and many of the miracles that occurred in the Old Testament (like Jonah). So, while it would be hard to read those in another book and believe them, you have Jesus affirming that they really happened, so it all boils down to how much you trust Jesus. If you trust Him, you can believe the rest of the Bible because He did. He then made the comment that they didn’t really have writing or books back then, so they didn’t have a Bible. I said that no, they did have scrolls. In fact, the gospels record Jesus reading from the great scroll of Isaiah and talking about prophecy about him was being fulfilled. During Jesus’ time, their bible was the old testament – the new testament had not been written yet. At that point, I also referred to a conversation we had had at lunch the other day where he’d brought up the scrolls found at Qumran. I said, and that is why the dead sea scrolls are so important. When we found those in 1940 something, they had most of the old testament and the wording was exactly the same as the old testament that we have today, which was great confirmation of the care taken by the scribes in translating these texts. I also explained that all of the Bible translations we have today are all translated from the original Greek/Hebrew, so it doesn’t “evolve” over time as some think. This was in response to the comment he made about people just passing this information along by word of mouth. I also mentioned that we have the Ryland’s fragment from John 18 that is the earliest surviving fragment of the new testament dated at about 135 a.d. I also brought up that as time goes on archeology finds older manuscripts which are closer to the events, which makes it more certain that we have accurate text in the Bible. Earlier in the conversation, I’d already brought up too that we have about 2400 Greek manuscripts of the new testament – far more than any other literature from antiquity.
He said he didn’t understand the concept of the Son of God. I said that Jesus is God in human form. He came down to earth and became a man. He wanted to know why we needed Jesus. I said that man had sinned and we could not pay for our own sins and that Jesus had to come to sacrifice Himself for our sins. I explained that since men are sinners, we would not be acceptable as a sacrifice and that the one and only sinless Son of God qualified as an acceptable sacrifice for sins. He then questioned why it had to be Jesus – why not mother Teresa or something. I told him that all men are sinners including Mother Teresa. Jesus, since he was God in human form was not a sinner. He had a problem with that – he said there was no proof that Jesus was without sin. I said, yes, there is no absolute proof, but there is some evidence. For example when Pilate tried him he found no fault in him. Also, the Pharisees, who were constantly trying to trap him and find some dirt couldn’t – they could never find anything he did wrong. So, yes, there’s no absolute proof he was sinless, but there is evidence that he was sinless. He said that if God became a man, then wouldn’t he be sinful, since all men are born in sin? I said that he was the only one that was virgin born. So then he said, then doesn’t that imply that sex is sinful? I said, no, that doesn’t imply that. Our conversation got cut off at that point because we came in.
During a prior conversation a few days earlier, somehow we got onto the topic of philosophy – we were talking a little bit about Friedrich Nietzsche. He said he “tried philosophy” but it “didn’t work for him”. But he added, “neither did faith”. So we started to talk a little about faith and I got the sense that he equated all faith with “blind faith”. So I drew a diagram on my white board:
|——–evidence———–> FAITH|
The left side to the right side is the amount of knowledge needed to know something. The evidence gets you just so far, but not all the way. The remainder must be covered by faith. So, it is not blind faith, but rather it is following the trail of evidence until it ends and then exercising faith to cover the remaining gap in knowledge. It is reasonable faith. He seemed to understand that. I also relayed some examples of how one exercises faith in the daily living of life – for example, when you eat at a restaurant, you are exercising faith that the food was not poisoned and is in fact what it is purported to be. You wouldn’t be able to live your life without faith – you’d have to verify everything.
It seems that this person is on a spiritual journey toward the truth and I hope and pray that I can be there to answer his questions and knock down any intellectual objections/barriers that he has, so that he no longer rejects God and God “grants him repentance, leading him to a knowledge of the truth and that he may come to his senses and escape the trap of the devil, who has taken him captive to do his will”.
I was reading through a book on logical fallacies and I came across 2 fallacies that I’d seen plenty of times before:
Hasty Generalization– drawing a generalization from too few specific examples…
False Analogy– making a comparison between 2 things that are alike only in trivial ways…
Also, during the day, I’d been reading William Lane Craig’s response to a question about his views on “Evolutionary Creationism and the Image of God in Mankind” athttp://www.reasonablefaith.org/evolutionary-creationism-and-the-image-of-god-in-mankind. In that response, he states “One cannot exaggerate just how extraordinary anextrapolationthe current paradigm [of Darwinian evolution] involves”. He goes on to say “The extrapolation of the Darwinian mechanisms from peppered moths and fruit flies and finch beaks to the production and evolution of every living thing is a breathtaking extrapolation of gargantuan, brobdingnagian proportions. We know that in science such extrapolations often fail.”
This last statement really got me thinking about whether this extrapolation (which seems to be at the root of the disputes on Darwinism) is in fact fallacious. I think it is pretty well known that creationists and intelligent design advocates both support the idea of natural selection, since it is in fact observable. But in order for natural selection to work, there must be an existing population of organisms competing for survival in an ecosystem. The question that needs answering is “how did that population get there in the first place?” Is natural selection acting on unguided (random) mutations sufficient to account for the creation of the population?
Is extrapolating the “evolution of every living thing” based on “peppered moths and fruit flies and finch beaks” committing the fallacy of Hasty Generalization? This fallacy may apply because the Darwinists are taking the few examples of evolution that can be observed (“peppered moths and fruit flies and finch beaks” and even bacterial resistance to antibiotics), and extrapolating from that the conclusion that all of life descended from a common ancestor via the same mechanism. But there is no actualobservationof larger jumps in evolution. Or, is this extrapolation possibly the fallacy of False Analogy? This fallacy may apply because the Darwinists use the observation of these preserved, favorable traits in “peppered moths and fruit flies and finch beaks” and make an analogy that this observed variation within a species can be used to prove descent of all life from a common single celled ancestor.
In his book “Discerning Truth”, Dr. Jason Lisle states:
“Yet scientists (doing real science in the present) do something strikingly similar to affirming the consequent as part of their standard procedure. They form a hypothesis (p), which predicts a specific experimental result (q). They then perform an experiment or observation that affirms (or denies) q. If the prediction of the hypothesis is confirmed, doesn’t this provide support for said hypothesis? Isn’t that what the scientific method is all about? Yet this appears to be fallacious, leading us to ask:Is the scientific method based on the fallacy of affirming the consequent? Secular philosophers have struggled over this very issue. Science does seem to be formally invalid, and yet, it is incredibly successful. How do we account for this?” He goes on to say “… a scientific model that makes many specific, successful predictions under a variety of conditions, and that outperforms other competing models, is indeed likely to be a good approximation of the way the universe works…”.
I do think that if Darwinists say that the Neo-Darwinian model of evolution, is “fact”, as is so often stated, that is fallacious.
After 13 years of living in our Phoenix Arizona home, it looks like it is time to get the sprinkler (drip) system replaced. It is springing leaks about once a week and starting to become really irritating… If we don’t happen to be home to catch it when one of these leaks happens, the whole yard gets flooded and the water sometimes even makes it down the street! With this hot and dry climate out here, the black plastic tubing just starts to develop splits in various places and eventually just needs a complete replacement.
So, last week I made the decision that I would bite the bullet and replace the whole system. Knowing that I have very minimal skills in sprinkler maintenance and would be in over my head trying to replace the whole system myself, I decided to call out various companies to give me an estimate. So far, I’ve had 2 sprinkler repair companies come out. I figure that my best approach is to get several estimates so that I can compare the prices they’re giving me as well as comparing and contrasting the various suggestions and options. For example, one company is saying I need “Funny pipe” – it will last 20 – 30 years. Another company says funny pipe shouldn’t be used for a residential sprinkler system and instead I should use 5/8″ black plastic tubing. But both companies so far have agreed that I should get the valves replaced and that this time, I should have them buried underground. They’ve both agreed that it is not absolutely necessary for me to replace the controller box, so they quoted that as a separate item. This morning, there are 2 more companies scheduled to come out and I hope to learn more and get a better idea about what parts of the system I should replace, what grade of components could or should be used and roughly what this will cost me.
So, how does this relate to the New Testament? In the same way that getting multiple estimates on something I know very little about, like a sprinkler system, will make me more sure about the truth of what I need, having multiple authors providing their accounts of interaction with and observation of Jesus gives me a clearer and more accurate picture of who He is and was. We’ve got 27 books written by 9 authors over approximately a 60 year period. Taken all together, they give a complete picture of the God-Man Jesus. Just like the estimates that I’m getting, there are areas where the accounts of Jesus agree and report exactly or close to exactly the same thing. The basic story – the basic facts are the same:
Jesus was born of a virgin
He lived and moved around in the area of Palestine (Nazareth, Galilee, Jerusalem, etc)
He performed miracles
He healed people
He forgave their sins
He cast out demons
He taught with authority
His adversaries were the elders, chief priests, scribes and pharisees
He was crucified on a Roman cross
He died and was buried
On the 3rd day, He rose from the dead
He appeared to many of His followers after rising from the dead
He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father
There are many other areas that agree as well. And just like the estimates that I’m getting on the sprinkler system, in the New Testament accounts of Jesus there are divergent details, such as “Were there 1 or 2 women at the tomb?” or which disciple got to the tomb first. And I know that there are other divergent details as well through the 27 books. Also, there are details provided by one author that are not provided by the others (supplemental information). So, like the sprinkler estimate, I need to decide whether I discard these differences and/or supplemental information or whether I just realize that these authors were writing the account from their own unique perspective. Taking all of the accounts of the 9 authors together provides a more comprehensive picture of who Jesus is and was. But certainly the divergent details and supplemental information do not invalidate the areas of agreement. Just like having more sprinkler estimates makes me more sure of the common information contained in those estimates, the commonly reported facts about Jesus make memore surethat those facts are well established.
I was sent on a business trip traveling with this guy from my work. He’s not in my department, but works nearby. I’ve known him casually for many years – I would guess over 10 years, but this is the first time we’ve ever spent a significant amount of time together. It is just us 2 staying at this hotel (separate rooms of course) and we’ve been going to breakfast, lunch and dinner every day together. We’re here for the whole week and today is Tuesday. So far, I’ve just been getting to know him and finding out about his family, his situation, his likes/dislikes, hobbies, etc. Probably level 2 type conversations. We’d gotten beyond the weather and sports and into more personal stuff. So, today on the way home from work, we started talking about musical tastes and he shared all the music that he likes. So, I knew that it was going to come out that I pretty much liked all Christian music, because that is the truth. I have a past history of liking all sorts of music and I certainly do still like a lot of that (e.g. the Beatles). For some reason, the subject of guitar came up and I talked about knowing how to play guitar. He asked me what type of music I play. So, I decided that was a good opportunity to bring up my faith. I say, well, I don’t know if you know this, but I am a Christian. He said, no he didn’t know that. And I said that every Thursday evening, I’m part of a men’s group where I play guitar and it is all Christian music. He said, that is interesting, because my brother does the same thing. He’s gotten really into going to church and Christianity. He’s like totally changed. I told him that I’m the same way. I then talked a little bit about how I became a Christian. I got a job offer in our corporate headquarters (at the previous company where I was working) and my wife at that time said I was really difficult to deal with. She’d been taking my son to church with a friend of hers and she was really wishing that I would go. So, she said that she would agree to move so that I could take the job offer at corp as long as I would agree to go to Church when we got there. So we moved and I ignored my promise for about 2 years. Until one Easter… My son’s best friends (a brother and sister) invited us to go to Church. It was a Lutheran Church. So, my wife reminded me of my prior commitment to her about going to church. So, I grudgingly said yes. Well, in that service, something very strange and special happened. As I was sitting there listening to the sermon, it felt like the pastor was just talking to me. There was the cross behind him as he told about Jesus and how he’d died for our sins. And it hit me like a ton of bricks. I just had the sense that there really was something to this and I felt stirring in my heart and I was convicted that I was a sinner before God and that Jesus died for me. So, at that point, me and my wife had started going to a new believer’s class and I was going to a men’s group. Later in November of that year I was baptized. Then we move out here to Arizona and eventually, my family got less and less interested and finally I was the only one going to Church. Now that is still the case and I’m more involved than ever including even teaching the Bible at the Church to kids. At this point our conversation got interrupted because we were back at the hotel and the car we’d pulled up next to had it’s back driver’s side passenger window smashed out. It shocked both of us. So, that derailed us for a few minutes then we got back to talking. I shared that I know it may sound cliché but what happened to me (and I think your brother) was that we were born again. Once I was born again and my eyes were opened (he used the phrase about his brother that he’d finally “saw the light”), I started to investigate whether it was really true, because I was starting to have doubts. During the first 37 years of my life all I looked at was all the evidence that was against Christianity, I never looked at the evidence that was for Christianity. Now I started looking at all that and was amazed how much supporting evidence there was. I was becoming convinced that this was true beyond a reasonable doubt. I was getting the feeling that I would actually need more faith to NOT believe that I would need to believe. Then he shared that his brother, after he really started to get into this stuff invited him to Church and he went. He talked about the guy up there playing music in his casual clothes and talked about how it was pretty laid back. He said that it “stuck” for his brother, but it didn’t really “stick” for me. He said he just really wasn’t that into it, so he stopped going. As we were starting to go up the elevator, he was asking me if Catholic and Christians had the same Bible. I said that it was mainly the same, except that they have the Apocrypha in between the testaments. I said that however the theology of Protestants and Catholics is quite different. I asked him if he’d ever heard of Martin Luther, in the 1500’s, how he posted his grievances with the Catholic Church and that started the whole split between the 2. He said that no, he’d not heard of that. At that time, it was time for him to get off at the 4thfloor to go to his room and I had to go to the 6thfloor for mine. We agreed to meet in about an hour and go to dinner. I had hopes that the conversation would continue… I’d shared my testimony, now I wanted to get more deeply into what Christianity was all about. We went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant and started off with small talk. We didn’t really resume talking about spiritual things right away. So, I started back with the guitar and talked about what guitars I’d owned in the past and what I own now and various other music related topics. In an effort to get the topic steered back to what we were talking about earlier on the way home from work, I brought up the topic of his brother. I asked where he lived and he told me, then he started talking about how his brother had a job in finance in a car dealership and was working 7 days a week and making a lot of money. He had a really nice house. But when he “saw the light”, he decided to get out of that and get a job with more reasonable hours where he could spend more time with his family. He quit his job and sold his house. He said he couldn’t believe the change in his brother. He said that is his flesh and blood and he really couldn’t understand it. He thought there might be something to it, that is why he himself decided to try it and went to Church with his brother, but he admitted he didn’t really give it a good try. I think he said something like it just didn’t work for him and it didn’t do anything for him. He just wasn’t interested in it anymore and stopped going. So, I shared with him that I think there were 2 things that really caused my to be Christian. When I realized that God’s standard was perfection and that I’d sinned – you know the 10 commandments??? He nodded that yeah, he was familiar with all of that because he went to Catechism as a child. He has the “Our Father” memorized and everything. So, I continued – when I realized that I was guilty before God and basically was headed for hell – he stopped me – because you didn’t keep the commandments?? I said that no one in the whole world can keep the commandments perfectly and that is what God’s standard is – perfection. (He agreed that no one can be perfect). And when I realized that I was guilty before God and headed for hell and that God provided a free pardon for my sins through faith in Jesus Christ, I thought I’d be a fool not to accept that, so I did. I think at some point he mentioned that hell was a pretty harsh punishment “for not going to Church”. I said, well, I think people in the world have a lot of misguided ideas about heaven and hell. I told him that a lot of people seem to think of heaven as kind of like an eternal Disney Land. But the Bible says that the essence of heaven is being with God forever. Now on the other hand, hell is being separated from God forever. He said, oh well that doesn’t sound that bad – no fire – maybe just a little heat he said with a giggle. I said, well, while I think that it is possible that the flames of hell are literal, it is possible that they are just figurative and are meant to communicate how horrible hell will be. See the people who believe in Jesus will be with him forever in heaven, but the rest of the people who reject Jesus Christ will be separated from him. And since everything we have in the world that is good is from God, the people who are separated from God forever will be permanently separated from everything good. I think people generally don’t realize that everything we have that is good in this world comes from God – the beauty in nature, the sunshine, our bodies and skills and every other good thing. So they think hell won’t be that bad, but really its being separated from the source of good – God – forever. He seemed to understand it when I put it that way. But then he asked – what about other religions? Will they all go to hell? I mean what about Islam and Allah? I explained to him that the subject of other religions is certainly a tough subject to talk about. But assuming that a person has heard the Christian message accurately, that they’ve heard about the condemnation they’re under and still consciously and willfully reject God’s free pardon through Jesus, they will end up separated from God in hell. Jesus says in the Bible “There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words. That very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day” (John 12:48). I said there is some controversy over whether a person who’s never heard of Jesus will be condemned. Jesus said one time, “If I had not come and spoken to them they would not have been guilty of sin. But now, they have no excuse for their sins” (John 15:22). So, if there is a person in the jungle who’s never heard of Jesus, there are some who feel that God will judge them according to what they know (according to the light they have). He said – oh, so people who have other gods won’t go to hell. I cautioned him – I said again, if they’ve heard the message of Jesus and rejected him, no they will go to hell. So then I said, but you know the other thing that convinced me in regards to Christianity is that there’s strong evidence that it’s true. So, even though I’m really uncomfortable with the idea of someone from another religion going to hell, unfortunately that’s something I ultimately have to accept. It’s not an issue of how it makes me feel, it’s more an issue of whether it is true or not. If it is true, I need to accept it, so my primary task is to determine the truth of it and then, once determined to be true, it needs to be accepted. But I said, I can always go back to the Bible says that God will treat everyone ultimately fairly. He is a good judge and no one will get anything that they don’t deserve. He also brought up objections about how there was a time when he was searching for answers and open to religion, then he would see the stories about the priests involved in those molestation cases and it would really discourage and disappoint him. I share that it grieves me as well. I think that is a big turn off to people when they see Christians acting like hypocrites. But Jesus said “by their fruits, you will recognize them”, meaning that you can generally tell if someone is a Christian by looking at their life. If they’re out buying crack cocaine every night and visiting the house of prostitution, then that may be a pretty good indication that they’re not living the life that they’re professing. I talked about how your good life does not and can’t save you, but the pattern of your life (becoming increasingly righteous and being grieved and repenting when you do slip up and sin) is evidence that you’re saved. He also made a point to bring up Athletes who point to God or thank Jesus – are they just doing it for show? I said, we can’t really know of judge for certain. But again, if the pattern of their life is filled with sin, they may be just doing it all for show. We talked about keeping the rules and the pattern of your life and how you’re not kicked out of the family every time you sin. Christians still sin; they still have bad thoughts and sometimes fall into old habits. It seems to be more about their attitude when they do sin. Whereas I used to celebrate my decadence and actually brag about it, I no longer do that. When I do slip up or fail or fall into old habits, I’m quick to go to God in pray and ask for forgiveness and repent. I realize that my salvation is not in jeopardy every time I sin. I’m still in God’s family and I’m still going to heaven. Nothing’s going to change that. When I was discussing this topic of obedience and disobedience, he actually brought up Mormonism. He mentioned that a friend of his is Mormon and that they place a big emphasis on obedience. I agreed with him and relayed a story of someone I know who got ex-communicated from the Mormon Church for having sex outside of marriage. This person went through like a little mini trial and was kicked out of the church and had to get that corrected before being allowed back in. We talked a little bit about the problems with Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon and Book of Abraham as well. He made the assertion about Christianity having problems as well – that the books were written down after a period of hundreds of years and they changed them to say what they wanted. I shared how the New Testament was 27 books written by 9 authors who were all either eyewitnesses or interviewed eyewitnesses. And they were all written in the first century in the life times of those who could challenge these claims being made. The authors (all but one) went to their deaths proclaiming these truths when all they had to do was recant and they would have saved themselves, but they chose instead to die to make sure these claims were spread. I mentioned that from a historical point of view, the New Testament was more well attested than most of the literary works from that time – in fact not even close. I shared how the New Testament has more than 24,000 manuscripts, which is far more than other documents from that period. He mentioned that he thought he’d heard that there were some scholars that were skeptical of all this that was written in the Bible. I asked if he was referring to Bart Ehrman. He didn’t know the name. So I explained how Bart Ehrman would even affirm that there was a historical figure called Jesus, who lived in the first century, was crucified on a Roman cross, buried and that his disciples reported seeing him alive (back from the dead) later. Now he admittedly doesn’t believe that Jesus was actually resurrected, but he will at least affirm those minimal facts.
During the conversation at some point I said that there are times that I as a Christian have doubts. I wonder if all this is a hoax. I wonder am I crazy because so few people seem to believe it. But then I go back to the basics – there is a God – I mean, we have this universe – where did it come from? And there is life that looks to be designed in the universe, with DNA, our bodies and their design. He agreed with those being good points. And those same points made him start seeking answers in the past too. I also said that I investigated the historical evidence that Jesus is who he said he is and did what the Bible said he did.
He had made some comment about Christianity making his brother’s life better and I think that was part of what his brother was telling him in order to convince him. I told him that in some ways your life gets better, but that’s not why I became a Christian. In fact in some ways your life gets worse. You can expect some persecution. I get mocked and laughed at and sometimes excluded because of my faith. But there are also ways that it makes your life much better – just knowing that I was under condemnation and that now I have peace with God and I have the peace of knowing that I’m going to heaven. And my life has purpose now. I have something and someone to follow. My life is meaningful and I know it doesn’t end at death. There were other things we talked about and other lines of conversation, but I just can’t remember all the details now… Overall, he said he enjoyed the conversation. Then the night was over. We’ll see what tomorrow brings…
Religious pluralism claims to be open-minded, but is it really? When we stop and think about the claims of religious pluralism, we discover that this worldview doesn’t accept any faith expression that is not pluralistic. Even though pluralism is touted at many universities as “open-mindedness,” it’s actually just another form of religious exclusivity. Why? Because it excludes anybody who doesn’t believe it. Therefore, religious pluralism excludes the beliefs of hundreds of millions of Christians who claim that Jesus Christ is the only way for salvation.
Jesus calls us to a “trust” that is not antagonistic toward evidence and reason. Many Christians mistakenly believe that Jesus called His disciples to a “blind faith” or to a “leap of faith”. Truthfully, He called them to a “trust” based on fact, evidence, and reason. This doesn’t mean that God reveals all the answers immediately. Jesus called His disciples first and then spent three years with them, living out a life that they could observe and trust. However, the trust to which He calls us is not opposed to reason.
[Paul] Copan continues, “Although some states have given up trying to figure out whom to blame for car accidents, hence no-fault insurance, truth matters. And when the stakes are raised, when a child crossing the street is hit by a truck and killed, for example, finding the truth becomes essential. Serious circumstances remind us that the difficulty of finding truth is no excuse for not looking.”
If someone says, “You can’t know any truth about God!” you could respond by saying, “How do you know that about God being unknowable?” That in itself is a “truth claim” that the person is professing to know. It’s a self-defeating statement.
[Regarding a person who was complaining about intolerant people] If you had been there, you could have asked Ms. Moore, “Aren’t you being intolerant of intolerant people?” It is true that tolerance can be a positive attribute at times, but it’s equally true that people should be intolerant of some things. I am thankful that Abraham Lincoln was intolerant of slavery, Martin Luther King Jr. was intolerant of racism, that Billy Graham is intolerant of sin, and that Winston Churchill was intolerant of oppression.
Since I write software for a living (and for a hobby), I thought it would be interesting to write a quick Python program to see how many random words I could generate that were valid words. In this post, I’m not drawing any conclusions or extrapolations from the data, rather just reporting the results. The key to making this work was to find a way to determine if the words I was generating were valid or not. So, I decided to bounce the words off of theMerriam-Webster dictionary online. After looking at how they construct the URL, I figured out how I could do it. I have provided the source code here as a gist:
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elif "<h2>" + word.upper() + "</h2> <span class=\"main-fl\"><em>abbreviation</em>" in lines or ("abbr</em>" in lines and "<h2>" + word.upper() + "</h2>" in lines):
validWord = False
abbrev = True
elif "<h2>" + word.lower() + "</h2> <span class=\"main-fl\"><em>abbreviation</em>" in lines or ("abbr</em>" in lines and "<h2>" + word.lower() + "</h2>" in lines):
validWord = False
abbrev = True
elif "ENTRIES FOUND" in lines or "Definition of <em>" + word.upper() + "</em>" in lines:
The code essentially uses the letters of the alphabet to try to construct random words in the range of 3 to 12 characters long. Immediately discarded are any randomly generated words with 4 or more consonants in a rowORany words that already exist in the list of words already found to be valid. This saves the app from having to make another web page read when I can determine ahead of time that the word is not valid. Another feature of the program is that it sleeps for a random range of 3 to 8 seconds between each call to Merriam Webster, that way I’m not hammering their server, but rather am behaving more like a real user of the site with “think time” built in.
I ran the program 2 separate times for a total running time of 3.115 days (almost 75 hours – exactly 4484.91 minutes). During these 2 runs, I generated a total of 123,459 words. 640 of the generated words (0.52%) were found to be valid words according to the Merriam Webster dictionary. Of those 640 valid words, 535 of them were 3 characters, 97 of them were 4 characters, 7 of them were 5 characters and there was 1 valid 6 character word generated. The script is supposed to eliminate abbreviations, because there is a way to programmatically detect that Merriam Webster is reporting the word as an abbreviation. However, as I look at the words determined to be valid, many of them appear either to be abbreviations, acronyms or otherwise unrecognizable. Here is the list of valid words generated, I will let you make your own decision. Here are the 226 “valid” words generated from run 1:
I was doing a search yesterday on the phrase “tell you” in the Bible (NIV) using theNuggets appand I noticed something very interesting. Most of the places where it shows up are in the Gospels, embedded in the phrase “I tell you the truth”. So, I became interested in that phrase and searched for it. The Nuggets app allows you to email the search results and here they are:
*************** Below are the results for search phrase ‘i tell you the truth’ ***************
1. daniel 11:2 (niv)
“Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will appear in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.
2. matthew 5:18 (niv) I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
3. matthew 5:26 (niv) I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
4. matthew 6:2 (niv) “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
5. matthew 6:5 (niv) “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
6. matthew 6:16 (niv) “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
7. matthew 8:10 (niv) When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
8. matthew 10:15 (niv) I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
9. matthew 10:23 (niv) When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
10. matthew 10:42 (niv) And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”
11. matthew 11:11 (niv) I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12. matthew 13:17 (niv) For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
13. matthew 16:28 (niv) I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
14. matthew 17:20 (niv) He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. “
15. matthew 18:3 (niv) And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
16. matthew 18:13 (niv) And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.
17. matthew 18:18 (niv) “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
18. matthew 19:23 (niv) Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
19. matthew 19:28 (niv) Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
20. matthew 21:21 (niv) Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.
21. matthew 21:31 (niv) “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.
22. matthew 23:36 (niv) I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation.
23. matthew 24:2 (niv) “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
24. matthew 24:34 (niv) I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
25. matthew 24:47 (niv) I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
26. matthew 25:12 (niv) “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’
27. matthew 25:40 (niv) “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
28. matthew 25:45 (niv) “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
29. matthew 26:13 (niv) I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
30. matthew 26:21 (niv) And while they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”
31. matthew 26:34 (niv) “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”
32. mark 3:28 (niv) I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them.
33. mark 8:12 (niv) He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it.”
34. mark 9:1 (niv) And he said to them, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.”
35. mark 9:41 (niv) I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.
36. mark 10:15 (niv) I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
37. mark 10:29 (niv) “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel
38. mark 11:23 (niv) “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
39. mark 12:43 (niv) Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.
40. mark 13:30 (niv) I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
41. mark 14:9 (niv) I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
42. mark 14:18 (niv) While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me–one who is eating with me.”
43. mark 14:25 (niv) “I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.”
44. mark 14:30 (niv) “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “today–yes, tonight–before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”
45. luke 4:24 (niv) “I tell you the truth,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.
46. luke 9:27 (niv) I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
47. luke 12:37 (niv) It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.
48. luke 12:44 (niv) I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
49. luke 18:17 (niv) I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
50. luke 18:29 (niv) “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God
51. luke 21:3 (niv) “I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others.
52. luke 21:32 (niv) “I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
53. luke 23:43 (niv) Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
54. john 1:51 (niv) He then added, “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
55. john 3:3 (niv) In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. “
56. john 3:5 (niv) Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
57. john 3:11 (niv) I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.
58. john 5:19 (niv) Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
59. john 5:24 (niv) “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
60. john 5:25 (niv) I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.
61. john 6:26 (niv) Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.
62. john 6:32 (niv) Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.
63. john 6:47 (niv) I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.
64. john 6:53 (niv) Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
65. john 8:34 (niv) Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
66. john 8:51 (niv) I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”
67. john 8:58 (niv) “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”
68. john 10:1 (niv) “I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.
69. john 10:7 (niv) Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.
70. john 12:24 (niv) I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
71. john 13:16 (niv) I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
72. john 13:20 (niv) I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”
73. john 13:21 (niv) After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.”
74. john 13:38 (niv) Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
75. john 14:12 (niv) I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
76. john 16:7 (niv) But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
77. john 16:20 (niv) I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.
78. john 16:23 (niv) In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
79. john 21:18 (niv) I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”
As you can see, it shows up 79 times in the Bible and only 1 of those times is not attributed to Jesus, but rather to Daniel. The phrase shows up 3o times in Matthew, 13 times in Mark, 9 times in Luke and 26 times in John. Interestingly, there’s not much of a difference between the synoptic gospels and the gospel of John.
I see this as a piece of evidence that these gospels are not legends and do describe a historical person – Jesus of Nazareth, who frequently used this phrase in His communication.
When preaching the gospel, the “urgency level” should be the same whether the person is 18 years old or 80 and whether they are in perfect health or soon to die… I was prompted to think aboutthis by a good articleI found. Here was a snippet:
Imagine you have been asked to preach the gospel to 1,000 people on the 100th floor of the World Trade Center the night before 9/11. You know that within 24 hours every person looking at you will die a death so horrific it defies human imagination. Many will be burned alive. Others will jump 100 stories to their deaths on the unforgiving sidewalks of New York. Others will fall with the building and be so crushed that their bodies will never be recovered. What are you going to tell them—that God has a wonderful plan for their lives? You can’t say that to people who are about to die! Instead you would soberly tell them that it’s appointed to man once to die and after this, the judgment. You would tell them that God is holy, that He will judge them by His perfect Law, that Hell is very real and that they desperately need a Savior. You would tell them that they could die within 24 hours, and plead with them to repent and trust alone in Jesus. If you have to change the message you normally preach, then you are not preaching the biblical gospel. Why would you have a different message for people who are walking the streets of this world, and are about to die? Every day 150,000 people throughout this world pass into death, many of whom will die in terrible ways—through horrific car accidents and through the suffering of cancer.
– Ray Comfort
I don’t know about you, but that’s very convicting for me. It is something I need to keep in mind more when talking to people about the things of eternity.
As I interact with my dog and observe her behavior, it occurs to me that I could learn a lot from the way she interacts with me (her Master) and apply that to the way I interact with my Master… As I read Scripture, I see parallels in how she treats me and how our God wants us to treat Him and others.
Sometimes, I wish I had faith, trust and love like my dog because…
She completely relies on me to supply all her needs. If I didn’t supply her with food and water and shelter, she wouldn’t have them. She doesn’t go out and try to hunt for her food – she knows her father loves her and will provide it. (See Matthew 6:25-34) In fact, when she goes outside, hunting is the farthest thing from her mind – she’s more interested in sunning:
Whether I’m sitting at the computer working or sitting on the couch watching TV, she wants to be with me (See Luke 24:28-29). She’s the definition of a lap dog…
She just wants to be in close contact with me and if she can’t be in contact with me, then she’ll just stare at me (See Hebrews 12:2):
My dog staring at meMore of my dog staring at me
waiting patiently on me (see Lamentations 3:24-26, Psalm 27:14;37:7).
She loves me and longs for “my appearing” (see 2 Timothy 4:8b, 1 Corinthians 2:9). When I leave the house, I’m told that she goes into the front room and waits on top of the couch looking at all the cars that go by until I come home (see Psalm 130:6).
She loves me with all her heart, soul, mind and strength (see Mark 12:30, Matthew 22:37).
When I come in the door after being away, she always greets me with tail wagging, getting up on her hind legs and licking my hands. She’s often so excited she’s “tinkling” on the floor…
My wife and I represent her complete life. Whether it is us petting her or playing with her:
Playing with my dogMy dog playing with me on the stairs
or feeding her, all enjoyment she gets in her life comes from us. We are not just a part of her life, we are the main thing (see Philippians 1:21, Luke 9:24, Colossians 3:4). Without us, she would have no life. She looks to us for everything: all needs, all enjoyment, when she’s scared, whatever it is, we are her life. (See Psalm 141:8, John 14:1).
She both fears me (see 1 Samuel 12:24, Luke 12:4-5) and loves me. My dog has an unusual habit – it must be specific to her breed. Whenever I walk up to her, she lies on her back and gets in a totally submissive posture (see James 4:7):
My dog “fearing me”
If you didn’t know better, you’d think that I beat her. Yet, I’ve found out over time that she’s not afraid, but I think she’s just showing respect and acknowledging my dominance (see 2 Chronicles 19:7). Seeing her in this submissive position makes me want to have compassion for her (see Psalm 103:13-14).
When she does wrong, she knows it and is quick to repent and seek to restore the relationship (see 1 John 1:9, Joel 2:12-13, Acts 2:38;3:19;20:21, Revelation 2:5).
She doesn’t harbor grudges and will quickly forgive any bad moods I have – she’s got a very short memory (see Matthew 6:14-15; 18:21-35, Mark 11:25).
She puts family first, before other worldly concerns. She honors us, her father and mother (see Exodus 20:12), and listens to us (see Proverbs 6:20-21; 23:22).
Once her Master approves of someone, even though she was acting aggressive toward that person, now she accepts the person because her Master has approved and accepted him/her.
She’s happy walking with me even though she has to be on a leash:
My dog on a leash
The leash is there to protect her from running away, getting hit by a car etc. In the same way, I should be happy walking with God, even though he has commandments in place for my protection. I shouldn’t view those commandments as unnecessary restrictions put in place by a cosmic kill-joy but rather thoughtful protections put in place by my Father in heaven who loves me.
When she goes out of the house she has to wear a collar with the tag on it identifying who she is and who she belongs to. In the same way, I wear a cross that identifies both who I am and Who’s I am.
She even prays!
I must not have been the first person to notice these characteristics of dogs. Certainly all analogies break down at some point. For starters, I’m not the all-powerful Creator of the universe and my dog Peanut does not have the same mental capacity as I do, nor the same challenges in living this life. None-the-less, I really think we can learn something from the faith, trust, and love of our dogs.
1 Peter 4:12-16 