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Links: Gimmie, Gimmie Bailout Money

Published by Colin November 21, 2008 in General. 3 Comments

Bailing out the Big 3

EndTheFed.us - Protests against the Federal Reserve Kick off this week

The fervour over Obama in Namibia

Taliban leader says: We have no faith in Obama

Mission Accomplished?

Iraq’s cabinet on Sunday overwhelmingly approved a proposed security agreement that calls for a full withdrawal of American forces from the country by the end of 2011. The cabinet’s decision brings a final date for the departure of American troops a significant step closer after more than five and a half years of war.

Perhaps the surge worked? Victory in Iraq Day.

All Apologies

I Sometimes find strangers’ manners so lacking that I have started engaging in an odd kind of activism. I call it reverse etiquette: I supply the apology that they should be giving me.

American doctors hate their work

What Happens If You’re on Gay Rights’ ‘Enemies List’

An animated map of religions over time. History of Religion

Overcoming Faith, Part IV

Published by Chris A October 22, 2008 in Religion. 0 Comments

The Immutability of God’s Word
As believers in God and his son Jesus Christ, we know that nothing was made without God’s spoken word (John 1:3). All things thus having been created by God through his spoken word are upheld by the same word of his power, and are of necessity in subjection to the omnipotent authority from which they originate. Jesus, being the exact representation of his Father, is the Truth (Hebrews 1:3; John 14:6). He is the substance of actual reality, and is not subject to fluctuations in the temporal world. He is Lord of all and master over creation.

Those of us who have been given the right to become children of God should recognize the implications of contradicting our Creator. Above all else, God’s word should be given pre-eminence in every situation of life. God and his word are inseparable (John 1:1). We know God is faithful only because of his prior credibility demonstrated in his bringing to pass that which he said would happen. Prophets of old, upon whom rested the mighty hand of God, spoke forth the words of God concerning the coming of Emmanuel - the Christ. And just as God predicted through his prophets, he has come. Similarly, all creation is a testimony to the immutable integrity of God’s word, having been spoken into existence by him. We therefore are able to rest securely on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, whether or not our natural senses bear witness to it. God cannot lie. People, on the other hand, not only have the ability to lie, but also lack the capacity for absolute truth. Even those of us who perceive the knowledge of God “see through a glass, darkly” – meaning that our apprehension of the truth is limited by our present state of being (1 Corinthians 13:12).

The absolute futility of disagreement with God’s word cannot be underestimated. We are under no obligation to believe what any man says – because the nature of his credibility is suspect - but where God has spoken only fools dare say anything to the contrary, after having been made aware of the revealed will of God. Such acts are rebellion against God, and in his eyes are tantamount to witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23). Even the ignorant, as innocent as their motives may seem to be, should be cautious not to speaking words of unbelief pertaining to matters for which they lack sufficient knowledge to formulate an intelligent response. Only a fool expresses an opinion about something for which he is unequipped to answer (Proverbs 18:13).

The Disinherited Ones
Agreement with God’s word involves personal and actual profession. Time and time again in the Old Testament and the New, we see how important words are in connection with the expression of faith. Conversely, words were often shown to demonstrate faith. What a person says about a matter fixes the landmarks of his inheritance. Though God has promised us many things – both in the life that now is and that which is to come – to a great extent we will only receive what we personally affirm to be true. Numbers 13 gives us a picture of people who were eventually disinherited because of their negative attitude and confession.

1Then the LORD spoke to Moses saying, 2″Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers’ tribes, every one a leader among them.”25When they returned from spying out the land, at the end of forty days, 26they proceeded to come to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; and they brought back word to them and to all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. 27Thus they told him, and said, “We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28″Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29″Amalek is living in the land of the Negev and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites are living in the hill country, and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan.”31But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.” 32So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size. 33″There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

We can see plainly that the spies were not in agreement with God when they brought back an evil report. In essence, God said, “Go investigate the land that I am going to give you.” He did not ask them to investigate the land to see whether they would be able to possess it or not. By their words they revealed that they did not believe God was going to give them the land. Instead of viewing themselves as overcomers, they saw themselves as “grasshoppers.” They magnified the size of the giants over the size of their God. Not only were the spies full of unbelief, but they infected most of the other people with their rebellious attitude. The children of Israel grumbled about their being in the wilderness and desired to return to Egypt. (Grumbling, of course, is a verbal expression of unbelief rather than faith.) And what was God’s response?

11The LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? 12″I will smite them with pestilence and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they.”22″Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice,23shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it (Numbers 14:11, 12, 22, 23).

The Possessors of the Land
There is a stark contrast between the speech of those who were disinherited and the speech of those who eventually possessed the land. Rather than disagreeing with God about their ability to overtake the land, their confession was an affirmation of what God had promised. When the rest of the spies (the majority, as it is in most cases) gave their evil report about the condition of the land and its inhabitants, notice how Caleb responded.

“Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, ‘We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it’” (Numbers 13:30).

This confession of faith was an actual attestation to the knowledge of God, rather than a natural reaction based on sense knowledge. This confession won favor with God.

“But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it” (Numbers 14:24).

Caleb demonstrated the kind of faith Jesus spoke about in Mark 11. He said what he believed would happen without doubting in his heart, and he got exactly what he said (Mark 11:23). He had a different spirit in him – the spirit of faith.

Overcoming Faith, Part II

Published by Chris A September 25, 2008 in Religion. 19 Comments

Esteeming God’s Word Above Experience
We know that faith can only be present where knowledge is present. In other words, one cannot believe what he does not know. Do you remember the rhetorical questions Paul asks in Romans 10:14?

“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?”

The answers to these questions are obvious, because faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). When one hears, knowledge is revealed to him, creating an opportunity for faith.

Let us examine 1 John 5:4, 5 in light of what we have covered thus far:

4For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith. 5Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

We know that these verses are the truth, but they do not always seem to agree with the life experiences of believers. Why? They must first know – by internalizing this reality – and then allow their words and actions to correspond with this belief. Knowledge gives way to thought; thoughts govern beliefs. Beliefs govern actions and words, and determine attitudes.

A common mistake many people make is to judge their success as a Christian on the basis how they feel. But the Bible never promised us that we would feel like overcomers; it says that we are – by nature of our Creator and Father – overcomers (1 John 5:4, 5). We are faith children of a faith God and we are to live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38). If we act like victims it proves that we don’t believe we are victors, and we never will as long as we adopt this kind of attitude. This is how real faith can be identified apart from its counterfeit counterpart, simple mental agreement; one is active, the other is passive.

Fueled by Meditation
If someone lacks faith, the remedy is knowledge. However, such knowledge is not always cultivated apart from meditation. One cannot expect to obtain the knowledge of God by mere intellectual means – that is, by reading the Bible without carefully weighing its significance. The goal is not to learn more information, but to apprehend knowledge of the Holy. Not only is the quantity of time important, but the quality of time is important. One must free himself of competing distractions in order to give full attention to the word of power by which God upholds all things.

“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success” (Joshua 1:8).

The Hebrew word translated meditate here literally means to mutter. Thus real biblical meditation also involves the use of one’s mouth as well as his mind.

The Spirit of Faith
If a survey was taken and Christians were asked what primary characteristic would demonstrate the spirit of faith, I would venture to say that precious few would be able to answer this question. However, the Bible makes the answer quite plain.

“We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak” (2 Corinthians 4:13).

The spirit of faith is the attitude of confidence towards God evidenced by the spoken word. In fact, this is how a person initially gains entry into the kingdom of God because one must confess with his mouth and believe in his heart that God raised Christ from the dead to be born again (Romans 10:9, 10).

People often fail to receive from God because of a lack of the expression of their faith. When someone is thoroughly convinced that God cannot lie and he becomes fully persuaded of his promises towards him, he is in a position to see God work miracles on his behalf. But once knowledge comes, the faith produced by this knowledge must be expressed either through word or action. A person can have faith without expressing it, in which case he would be almost as well off if he was completely faithless. He will never tap into the reservoir of grace at his disposal (Romans 5:2). He will both shortchange himself as well as rob God of the glory he would otherwise receive as a result of the blessing.

David and Goliath
The use of words in connection with the release of faith is among the most underemphasized and neglected basic truths consistent throughout the entire Bible. Let us take, for instance, the story of David and Goliath. David’s name is listed among many of great people of faith in Hebrews 11, but how was David’s faith utilized in the slaying of the giant? The entire story is found in 1 Samuel 17, but here is an abbreviated version. Notice what David said.

45Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. 46″This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD’S and He will give you into our hands.” 48Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground. 50Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David’s hand. 51Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

I think most Christians have a problem reconciling what David said in verses 46 and 47 with their theology. David literally said exactly what he believed God was going to do. In some people’s minds, this is presumptuous. They think, “How can one presume to know the will of God?” They fail to realize that the closer you get to God by prayer and meditation in his word, the less you have to presume because you know.

How Jesus Taught Faith
If Jesus ministered in churches today, he would be one of the most controversial teachers of our time – just like he was controversial in his own time. He would no doubt be heralded as a heretic. It is no wonder, then, that anyone who dares to teach what Jesus taught about faith is branded a false teacher by many modern-day Pharisees and doctors of the Law.

When it came to faith, Jesus took the spirit of faith to another level. What is perhaps most shocking about his teaching on the matter is the fact that he did not put himself in another faith class; on the contrary, his teachings were accompanied by examples he expected his disciples to follow. One such example and subsequent teaching is found in Matthew 21.

18Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry.
19Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.
20Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?”
21And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen.
22″And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

What was the mechanism of faith demonstrated here? It was Jesus’ spoken words to the fig tree. Yes, folks, Jesus spoke to inanimate objects! Am I saying that those who follow Christ should do the same thing? No, but Jesus did – his words, not mine. He told his disciples that not only could they do just as he did to the fig tree, but they could actually move mountains. Some have surmised that Jesus was speaking strictly in a figurative sense, but that cannot be the case. This was not a parable. Jesus literally spoke to a literal tree and in that same context told his disciples they could speak to a literal mountain. Could mountains represent other obstacles in life in some way? Yes, just as the barren fig tree was an obstacle to Jesus getting some food in his stomach. But that is different from drawing some kind of cryptic meaning from the passage. Mark’s account of this event sheds even more light on the emphasis of the spoken word to release faith. Mark 11:

21Being reminded, Peter said to Him, “Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered.”
22And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God.
23 “Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him.
24″Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.

In this account, we see that the potential for this kind of demonstration of faith is extended beyond Jesus’ twelve disciples, because Jesus said, “whoever says to this mountain…” Essentially he said that anyone – not just Jesus or his disciples - who says something, and believes it is going to happen it will happen; and anyone who prays for something should believe that it is received prior to actual physical evidence. This is exactly what David and many other people in the Bible did.

Expectancy
Anyone who lives by faith must of necessity live in expectancy. If the Bible says the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth, we should believe and expect him to do so. If the Bible says that God gives wisdom liberally to all men, we should expect to become wise as we seek God for wisdom. If the Bible says that God’s words are health to all our flesh, we should expect to be healthy as we spend time meditating in the word.

What do you suppose David expected to happen after he said to Goliath, “This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you”? He expected to both kill and decapitate someone most people would have thought he had no business challenging in the first place.

Far too many pray as a last resort and expect nothing. They may think they are in faith, but they are sadly mistaken. They wait and see if something will happen, instead of expecting that something will happen. These are “que sera, sera” prayers. Many have thought that “if it be thy will” should accompany every prayer they pray. They fail to realize that Jesus only prayed that way in a time of great distress when he was consecrating himself to the will of God by laying down his life for humanity (see Mathew 26). In most instances where this phrase is used, it actually destroys faith. It promotes the idea that God is so far off as to remain mysterious to mankind, such that he may never really be known – even by his own offspring.

In matters where the will of God is completely unknown, certainly it would be appropriate to seek God by supplication; that too, is biblical. But pertaining to matters where God’s will is clearly revealed through his word, it makes no sense to pray as if we don’t know God’s will.

Overcoming Faith, Part I

Published by Chris A September 24, 2008 in Religion. 0 Comments

The Triumphant Faith Life
The Christian, by his very spiritual nature, is a triumphant being patterned after the triumphant Christ. This is the reality of his actual identity as seen through the eyes of God. As a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, his time of sojourning on earth is to be one of absolute mastery over the kingdom of Satan and his schemes. This does not mean we will not have problems, it just means that God will always cause us to prevail despite the problems. Christians were never intended to live as victims, but victors. Since God himself is for us, the idea that any adverse circumstance should hinder us from accomplishing his will for our lives is a completely bankrupt concept.

Although God has determined that his children be more than conquerors through Christ, sadly this is not the experience of many believers. Why is this? They are either ignorant of the thoughts God has towards them as revealed in his holy Word, or they have been taught otherwise, crippling their ability to grasp the knowledge of God that is sufficient to multiply the manifold grace of God to them. Consequently, many of them will live out their lives far below their Christian potential.

Identifying the New Creation
We would all do well to ask what qualities make up the spiritual substance of those who have been born by God’s Spirit. The answer to this question cannot be determined solely Christian experience. The experience of the new creation is only valid to the extent that it agrees with the word that proceeds from the mouth his Creator.

23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does (James 1:23-25).

Here James compares the word of God to a mirror that reflects actual Christian identity. This concept is laid out in John 1:12-16.

12But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’” 16For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.

True Christian identity, then, has its sole basis in the Christ himself – the incarnate word of God. By beholding the glory manifested forth from Jesus, we are transformed into the same image. Although this identity may be evident in the traditions that express Christian thought, the true characteristics of Christ’s followers can never really be derived from them. The church, being the body of Christ, is an extension of the thoughts, will, and purpose originating from the Head. As he is, so are we in this world. In truth, we are to be ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). We are representatives of a heavenly kingdom that operates by entirely different principles than the world where we presently reside.

The Second Transformation
Certainly the born again experience constitutes the spiritual resurrection of the dead – the translation from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light, but it is also a part of a greater metamorphosis and is only the entrance into the faith life. It profits neither the believer nor the kingdom of God for those having been born of the Spirit of God to then nullify many of the benefits of this new life by failing to adopt the new manner of thinking consistent with this spiritual reality. A man thinks, so his he (Proverbs 23:7). He cannot manifest this new nature without thinking in concert with it. This is both a process of deprogramming and reprogramming – ridding our consciousness of impurity while internalizing Truth.

22That, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth (Ephesians 4:22-24).

From this passage we can conclude that in order to “put on the new self” one must renew his mind. Here we see the possibility of one being a new creation and yet failing to manifest the godly characteristics he unknowingly possesses.

Next time: Esteeming God’s Word Above Experience

The New Birth (Part III)

Published by Chris A June 19, 2008 in Essays, Religion and Theology. 0 Comments

As was mentioned in the previous article entitled Our Introduction to the Holy Spirit, following the experience of being convicted of sin such that we recognize that we need Jesus, the sinner is born again. This occurs when a conscious effort is made towards a profession of faith in the redemptive work of Christ. When a person receives Jesus by faith, he becomes a new creation spiritually (2 Corinthians 5:17). This is made possible by the Holy Spirit.

Born of the Spirit
Jesus explained the New Birth to Nicodemus in John 3:

1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

3In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

4″How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”

5Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spiritgives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘Youmust be born again.’ 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

In this passage, Jesus contrasts two very different kinds of birth, both of which are necessary for entrance into the kingdom of God – the natural birth and the spiritual birth. Spiritual birth is necessary because of the spiritual death that passed on all the sons of Adam (Romans 5:12, Romans 5:15, 1 Corinthians 15:22). The experience of being born again signifies the death of the spiritually dead man and the creation of a new man with a new spiritual nature, having the capacity to express the nature of God and overcome the world (Romans 6:4, Romans 6:6, Colossians 2:12, Ephesians 4:24, 1 John 5:4, 5).

Sonship
Anyone who has been born of the Spirit has become a son or daughter of God. Contrary to what some people often say, the whole of humanity is not included in the family of God; only those who have entered into the kingdom of God through the only way (Jesus) are recognized by God as his children. Being born again not only involves the process of adoption by God the Father, but naturally puts believers into a sibling relationship with Jesus.

11Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. 12He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises” (Hebrews 2:11, 12).

Because we have the same Father and are part of the same family, we receive the same degree of love from the Father as does Jesus. To put it another way, God does not love Jesus any more than he loves his other children.

22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24″Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world (John 17:22-24).

Spiritual Growth of the Newborn
Much the same way newborn babies have to grow and develop, those born of the Spirit must do the same. Growing spiritually involves the development of spiritual fruit. Jesus spoke of this in John 15.

4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5″I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

The food necessary to facilitate spiritual growth is the word of God. Jesus, who is the Word incarnate, said that it was impossible to bear spiritual fruit apart from him. 1 Peter 2:2 is in complete agreement with this concept.

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.”

The passage most generally referred to with respect to spiritual fruit resulting from growth is found in Galatians 5.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Most Bible translations, including the New International Version which is quoted above, capitalize the word spirit. In one sense it is accurate to say that spiritual fruit is of the Holy Spirit because it occurs subsequent to one being born of the Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit is not the one bearing fruit – the believer is (John 15:4, 5). Therefore, it is more accurate to say that the fruit mentioned is the fruit of the human spirit having been recreated by the Holy Spirit.

Our Introduction to the Holy Spirit (Part II)

Published by Chris A June 11, 2008 in Religion. 4 Comments

Drawn to the Father
There is a time in the life of every believer when he is introduced to the Holy Spirit; more precisely the Holy Spirit introduces the sinner to Jesus. Jesus alluded to this in John 6.

44″No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. 45It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. 46No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.

Although the Father and the Son are mentioned in this passage and not the Holy Spirit, we must understand that the process of one being drawn to the Father through the Son is not done apart from the Spirit. Jesus sheds more light on this process and the specific role of the Holy Spirit in John 16. Speaking of the Holy Spirit Jesus said,

8When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. 12″I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

Here we see that the Holy Spirit is intimately involved in revealing one’s own sinful nature so that he is in a position to receive Jesus, who is the only way to the Father. Anyone who ever truly came to faith in Christ did so after the Holy Spirit convinced him of his sin and revealed to him the way of salvation. We must keep in mind, however, that the Holy Spirit’s ability to convict unbelievers of sin hinges on our obedience to communicate the Gospel. Without the preaching of this message the sinner would not have a basis for repentance, and would not be able to receive Jesus.

A Historical Account
In Acts 2:14-36 we see the Holy Spirit working in conjunction with the preaching of the Gospel to bring about the conversion of the hearers. Notice the response of those who heard Peter preach the Gospel in verses 37-41:

37When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

38Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

40With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Verse 37 says that those who heard the message were “cut to the heart.” This is the conviction of the Holy Spirit in action. However, their conversion did not end there. Peter instructed them on what they had to do to receive salvation. I mention this to stress that the Holy Spirit is our helper, but he alone does not bring salvation. He works in concert with believers who are led by him.

The Holy Spirit is not an Evangelist
I have heard believers pray that someone would get convicted of their sin and come to faith in Christ. Such prayers are really useless if no one ever bothers to share the Gospel with them because God has ordained that men, not angels or the Holy Spirit, preach the Gospel. A more biblical method of prayer for the lost is described by Jesus himself.

He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field (Luke 10:2).

A New Creation
Scripture teaches us that Christians are new creations born from above. A Christian is not an improved fallen creation, but an altogether new species of being created in Christ Jesus, born of the Holy Spirit. The prophet Ezekiel was able to see into the time when this would be possible.

19 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God (Ezekiel 11:19, 20).

In John 3, Jesus explained this more fully to Nicodemus.

3In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

4″How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”

5Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘Youmust be born again.’ 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Here Jesus makes mention of two births: a natural birth and a spiritual birth. He contrasts the outward man (or flesh) with the inward man (or spirit). Being born into the kingdom of God is a rebirth of the human spirit by the operation of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the new creation is entirely spiritual, making a person both alive to God and dead to sin (Romans 6:11).

So then Christians do not have a sin nature in the same way unbelievers do. We still have the flesh, which is sinful by nature, but being dead to sin we are freed from sin (Romans 6:7). The old spiritual sin nature has been done away with because God make Jesus to be sin on our behalf, effectively redeeming us from the bondage of sin so that we may walk in newness of life (2 Corinthians 5:17, 21). While the unredeemed are overcome by the world, those who are born of God overcome the world (1 John 4:4, 5:4, 5:5). This is the privilege of being made a new creation indwelled by the Spirit of God.

Biblical Bodily Healing X: Some Final Thoughts

Published by Chris A April 17, 2008 in Religion. 14 Comments

It has been said that there are two sides to redemption – the legal side and the vital side. I believe that is true. On the one hand you have the word of God, his promises revealed to his people, and then you have the actual experiences of his people in relation to his promise. The latter does not prove the will of the Father; rather the former reveals his thoughts toward us. During this series I have done my best to explore the legal side to the best of my ability. Rather than summing up what I have already written, I would like to approach healing from the other, unexplored side.

Personal Experiences
True Christian faith is not based on experiences; it is based on the word of God. Therefore an experience is only relevant to the extent that it is agreement with God’s word. Even regarding experiences that are supernatural, the believer is cautioned not to believe every spirit, but to test the spirits to be sure they come from God (1 John 4:1).

However, having a record of all the experiences the early church had with the Holy Spirit, we too should expect that God might visit us in much the same way. As long as our experiences are biblical, we have every reason to conclude they are an expression of the same love and power that Jesus manifested. God does not change. When Jesus offered prayer for his disciples in John 17 before being crucified, he also extended that prayer to include those believers who would come after them.

As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world (John 17:18-24, NASB).

This prayer reveals that it was Jesus’ will that the same glory demonstrated in his ministry should belong to his church for all ages. There is no hint of generational bias. Although many have relegated the ministry of healing to the early apostles, Jesus said this sign would follow those who believed in his name (Mark 16:18).

My Own Healing
A few years ago I suffered with symptoms consistent with Crohn’s disease. (I cannot say it was definitely Crohn’s disease since I never went to a doctor.) These symptoms persisted for about a year. I had very frequent diarrhea and skin rashes that occurred during night sweats. Nearly every morning I woke up in a cold sweat that literally drenched my sheets and stained them.

I was convinced that I would be healed if I exercised faith, but I endured the discomfort for quite a while before ever approaching God for healing. One reason I did not seek healing was because I was using my illness as a crutch. Any time I did not want to go to work, it was easy to call in sick because I was basically always sick. I got into the destructive habit of feeling sorry for myself.

Although it seems logical that most people who are sick desire to be healed, the truth is that is not always the case. Do you remember that Jesus asked the man at the pool of Bethesda whether he wanted to be healed? Why would he ask such a question? Isn’t the answer obvious? Not exactly. Some people never got so much attention from others before they got sick, and they literally prefer to be sick and enjoy the attention. Despite the fact that they suffer, they enjoy a perverse power of victimhood – something they would have to give up if they got healed.

People like this get caught up in what I call “medical culture”. They constantly talk about their medications, their doctors, their surgeries, etc. It is impossible for people like this to be healed as long as they are consumed with being sick, especially if they get a sense of security from it. Such people prevent themselves from focusing on Jesus.

I was like that. Not to the extent that some people are, but the end result is the same. Eventually God got a hold of me. The Holy Spirit began to counsel me, and reveal to me areas that I needed to change. As crazy as this will sound to some, he showed me that I was heading toward an early grave before I reached my mid-fifties. That was a serious wake up call for me. I changed my direction, believed God for my healing, and was made completely well without the aid of medical science.
Continue reading ‘Biblical Bodily Healing X: Some Final Thoughts’

Bibilical Bodily Healing VII: Faith Defined

Published by Chris A March 20, 2008 in Religion. 9 Comments

Since Jesus made so much mention of faith with respect to healing, it is necessary that we gain an understanding about what faith is according to the scriptures. Faith is a firm belief or persuasion about God supported by words and/or deeds. Faith results from having obtained the knowledge of God. Absent knowledge, faith cannot be present. This is not knowledge in a purely academic sense, but is knowledge that comes from God via his word. Through God’s word his character and faithfulness is revealed, and thus his credibility is revealed; this is the basis of faith.

Faith is the counterpart of grace. In order for there to be faith, there must be grace. Access into the grace of God is granted by the exercise of faith, and grace is multiplied to us through the knowledge of God.

How Faith is Made Available
The tenth chapter of Romans gives us a picture of what some have termed “saving faith”. This faith is based on the knowledge of God’s will to make righteous all those who receive Christ by faith.

8But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

In verse 8 Paul calls the Gospel the word of faith. Why? Because it is able to produce faith sufficient for righteousness. However, notice that for this faith to be effective there must be a corresponding confession of faith.

13For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

The answer to Paul’s rhetorical questions is: they cannot. It is impossible to call upon a Savior that you have not believed in, and it is impossible something you have not heard.

17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

The Promises of God
Not only does “saving faith” come by hearing, but all faith comes by hearing. Such was the case with Abraham. He received a promise from God, and on the basis of that promise alone, he believed what seemed to be both impossible and ridiculous to most people. Imagine calling yourself Abraham, which means “father of many nations”, when you are an old man with an old wife who has never bore any children. In Abraham, so many of the qualities of true faith are revealed.

16Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 18Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: 20He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform (Romans 4:16-21).

One of the most overlooked qualities of faith is found in verse 19. Notice that it says Abraham “considered not his own body…neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb.” True faith is willing to accept God’s word above all that is seen in the temporal realm. In the Christian sense, seeing is not believing.

For most Christians this is not the case. Adverse circumstances that contradict the promises of God are often touted as “reality”, and thus they stagger at the promise of God because of their failure to esteem God’s word above all else. If you are fully persuaded that God promised you something, nothing else should matter; it should be settled in your mind that he is faithful to keep his promise, and it has to come to pass – period.

Take a look at what Peter said concerning the promises of God in 2 Peter 1:3, 4.

3According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

Everything that pertains to life and godliness has been provided (past tense) to Christians through Christ, but in order to partake of that provision Christians must take an active stance towards acquiring what is promised by faith. There is indeed nothing passive about faith. Those who are in faith think, speak, and act in accordance to what is promised.

Many err in that they assume that whatever God promises automatically materializes. Nothing could be further from the truth. God promised Israel a land flowing with milk and honey, but did all of them enter into that land? No. Why? Because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:19). Therefore it requires faith to receive of what God has provided for his children.

Faith is Not Generic
As stated earlier, faith is based on knowledge from God. Naturally all faith is not the same just as all knowledge is not the same. A person can have strong faith in one area while having weak faith in another area, simply because they may lack knowledge in the area where faith is weak. The remedy for this problem is to acquire the knowledge that can produce the desired belief.

Another possibility is that by failing to give attention to all aspects of what is known, people become forgetful and get out of faith. They may acknowledge something to be true without displaying the corresponding actions that prove their faith is living.

Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip (Hebrews 2:1).

In cases where people have heard the word of God in a particular area, but have not maintained a vibrant faith in that area, the solution is to revisit the knowledge that produced the faith in the first place.

This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour (2 Peter 3:1, 2).

This is where consistent renewal of the mind comes into play. When knowledge is initially revealed, this is just the beginning of faith. In order for faith to persist it must be continually fed on the word of God. Unless beliefs are strengthened, they will naturally weaken.

The Anti-Faith
Faith has an imposter. In many respects it does a pretty good job of impersonating faith, but when it comes to producing actual results, it falls short. The enemy is simple mental agreement. How can one be differentiated from the other? It is simple: by the corresponding words and actions that are produced. Here is a great lesson on faith from James 2.

13For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. 14What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

When it comes to faith, words are important. But mere words that fail to translate into any demonstrable action are an empty mockery of faith. To get a clearer picture of how actions follow real faith, the reader is urged to visit the eleventh chapter of Hebrews.

Bibilical Bodily Healing VI: Christ, the Anointed One

Published by Chris A March 11, 2008 in Religion. 1 Comment

The Anointing
Jesus Christ is uniquely totally God and totally man. He is not a mutant, but is the totality of divinity and humanity in one person. He demonstrated the love of God for humanity by reconciling man back to God. This reconciliation culminated with Christ redeeming mankind by offering his own body as a ransom.

However, prior to his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension - he manifested the Spirit of reconciliation by healing the sick and forgiving sin. It would behoove us to examine how Jesus was able to heal the sick. Many have assumed that Jesus was able to heal simply because he was the Son of God. However, the Bible does not support this position. In fact, Jesus made quite clear what enabled him to heal when he quoted Isaiah 61 in the fourth chapter of Luke.

14And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. 15And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. 16And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 17And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 22And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?

Jesus said he was able to heal the brokenhearted and open the eyes of the blind because he was anointed with the Spirit of God. Even the power of Jesus’ preaching should be attributed to the Holy Spirit. Up until this moment Jesus had been the Son of God. Yet he had not been anointed to work the works of God until after the Holy Spirit descended on him following his baptism by John. Peter also made clear the fact that Jesus healed by the power of the Spirit.

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him (Acts 10:38).

Notice the emphasis on Jesus’ humanity in this verse. Peter referred to him as “Jesus of Nazareth”. If Jesus had been working miracles as God in the flesh, then he would not have needed to be anointed. Who would be qualified to anoint God?

Jesus himself even attributed his ability to cast out evil spirits by the Spirit of God.

But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. (Matthew 12:28)

The Anointing to Heal in Demonstration
There are various passages that we could look at that show Jesus’ ministry to the sick. Some of them are more specific in terms of revealing to us how Jesus healed with the aid of the Holy Spirit. One such passage is found in Luke 6. For clarity we will examine this passage from the New International Version.

17He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, 18who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evilspirits were cured, 19and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

Notice that verse 19 says that power was coming from him. What was that power? It was the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus was anointed with. When people touched Jesus that power was released and caused healing to take place in those that touched him.

The most overlooked part of what transpired here is found in verse 17. Why did people come to Jesus in the first place? They came first to hear him, and secondly to be healed. Faith comes by hearing, and that is directly linked to whether a person receives healing or not. Even though the Spirit of God was in manifestation, it took faith to receive as we see in Mark 5. Once again we will go to the New International Version.

The Woman with the Issue of Blood

25And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” 31″You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 32But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Again, pay special attention to verse 27 which says, “When she heard about Jesus…” This is where faith is initiated. When she touched Jesus, Jesus felt the power of the Spirit go out from him. So we know that the anointing of the Spirit played a major role in the healing of this woman, yet Jesus attributed this woman’s healing to her faith. It is faith that gives action to the power.

The Inspired Word of God?

Published by Hungry Sasquatch September 12, 2007 in Religion. 74 Comments

Editor’s note: In the spirit of pursuing truth and engaging different views, Zeal For Truth will publish guest commentaries such as today’s article written by Josh Herchenroeder. He received a degree in Bible from Abilene Christian University, and then spent three years auditing grad school.

I’m currently reading Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, a fascinating study of hidden incentives, unasked questions, and unexpected realizations. This particular quote stood out to me:

It was John Kenneth Galbraith, the hyperliterate economic sage, who coined the phrase ‘conventional wisdom.’ He did not consider it a compliment. ‘We associate truth with convenience, with what mostly accords with self-interest and personal well-being or promises best to avoid awkward effort or unwelcome dislocation of life…We adhere, as though to a raft, to those ideas which represent our understanding.’

I’d like to shift the focus of this principle from an economic field to the realm of Christianity. Faith in the unseen is at the core of Christian doctrine; by its very nature, much of Christianity cannot be substantiated. However, this has not stopped us from developing our own conventional wisdom, and the church’s response to those who challenge the norm has been unpleasant, to say the least. Questioners are socially ostracized. We used to brand them as heretics and excommunicate them…or burn them at the stake. We develop a comfort zone of beliefs which we don’t want anyone messing with, and then wrap it up all nice and neat, stick a bow on it, and call it faith. I call it conventional wisdom, and like Galbraith, I don’t think highly of it.

The Bible
One of the most obvious manifestations of this phenomenon is our insistence that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Is it really? Who says? I know my church history. I know about the great church councils and the canonization of the 27 books which comprise the New Testament. I know all the self-authenticating Bible verses, such as 2nd Timothy 3:16 (“All scripture is God-breathed…”). Undoubtedly, we have a huge number of witnesses spanning two millennia who help shape our conventional wisdom; unfortunately, while the magnitude of testimony must weigh heavily, it doesn’t conclude anything.

The Bible claims, on many occasions, to be the Word of God. Well, so does the Qur’an, and I find it to be inconsistent, self-contradicting, and extremely non-progressive. I would think God can do better than that. Or take the Book of Mormon, which claims to be the final (as in, more authoritative) revelation of Jesus. I find it overly fantastic and completely incongruous with subsequent scientific and archaeological discoveries. Should I not apply the same critical analysis to my own scriptures as to those of other faith traditions? And when I do, what happens when I discover self-contradictions? What do I do with prophetic messages that clash? What do I do with rules that demean women? How do I respond when God acts in a way that is in direct conflict with the testimony of Jesus? As I see it, we have three choices: 1) Change our view of God, or 2) Change our view of the Bible, or 3) Not think about it and use the “God’s ways are higher than our ways and we can’t understand it so we should just believe” intellectual out-clause.

Conventional Wisdom
Christian conventional wisdom tends to take the third option. It’s safe. For one thing, it’s what the community is supposed to believe, so we don’t risk rocking the boat. Besides, if we don’t ask questions, God will surely be pleased with our faith and so he won’t throw us in hell. The other alternatives are scary, so we stick with what we know, doing everything in our power to avoid uncomfortable disequilibrium. This is human nature. I don’t want to downplay the cost of questioning; it is enormous. If we are truly Christians, then our spiritual beliefs form the foundation on which we build our lives, and if those are wrong, then what does that say about everything we’ve worked to accomplish? If we are wrong, then the apostle Paul is right, and we are to be pitied above all persons.

My Choice
I chose to change my view of the Bible. I now view it as the most fascinating collection of ancient theology ever assembled. It is writers like me trying to make sense of their own lives in conjunction with the God they believe in. It is myriad voices blending together to proclaim that God is up to something in this world, and it’s worth our effort to be on board. So although I’m not convinced Abraham was a historical figure, I still embrace his story as my story. And though I don’t believe the exodus happened as described, I celebrate my deliverance from bondage along with the ancient Hebrews. And while I don’t believe Revelation to be a literal end-time vision, I celebrate God’s eventual triumph over evil with all the white-clad saints.

Moving Forward
I challenge Christians everywhere to let God out of the book. Over the centuries, humankind has made exponential progress in areas such as science, medicine, government, economics, philosophy, agriculture, and psychology. Is it so blasphemous to think moral understanding didn’t peak over nineteen hundred years ago? I think not. The council of early Christians in Jerusalem decided a vast majority of Torah—the Law of God—was irrelevant to gentile converts, a decision which must have been excruciatingly difficult to come to. Let us have the courage to do the same, when necessary. I absolutely believe the Bible should be the first thing we turn to for answers to moral dilemmas; it is our story and our tradition, after all. But is it God’s end-all, be-all Word? Not unless it’s a sin to trim your beard.

Zeal For Truth