What does God look like in the new postmodern paradigm? Two terms seem to govern any discussion of the postmodern God, as well as postmodern religion: tolerance and inclusion. Intolerance has been labeled the cardinal sin by our culture. Each person's view of God must allow for every other person's understanding of the God-concept. Every view is tolerated, every deity included in the new pantheon. Because of the deconstruction of language, which allows us redefine words in terms of our own belief system, the Biblical text can now support a feminist agenda, or address racial tension, or serve as the foundation for liberation theology. The Biblical text is re-canonized to support whatever one chooses to believe.
Postmodern religion resembles a montage more than anything else. Again, we are to tolerate and include the claims or worldviews of every tribe, group, or sect. In his newest work, George Barna discusses the truth claims of what he calls the "Seven Faith Tribes" that reside within the USA. These include,
* Casual Christians
* Captive Christians
* American Jews
* Mormons
* Pantheists
* Muslims
* Spiritual Skeptics
Postmodernism teaches that each group has the right to assert its truth claims, as long as they tolerate all the others. Which, of course, is why the exclusive claims of Christianity as so repulsive. How should Captive Christians respond to the tolerance and inclusion demanded by our postmodern culture?
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
From Calm to Chaos (pt. 2)
TV is not the only medium through which postmodern themes are popularized. The Cinema has become increasingly filled with postmodern chaos. The definitive work within the Cinematic genre which carries postmodern suggestions is "Pulp Fiction." As the title implies, "Pulp Fiction" is a film which celebrated its status as "soft" (pulpy) fiction. In this film moral relativism is clearly displayed, the sequence of events is so manipulated that all sense of linear time is blurred, and the boundary between truth and fiction is obliterated (becoming puply). Gene Veith observes that "postmodernist films set up different worlds, all occupying the same space. Characters must try to discover what world they are in." This shifting of realities includes both time frame and geographical location. Filmmakers constantly shift from one generation to another and from on locale to another.
Veith cites as examples of postmodernist cinematic chaos David Lynch's "Blue Velvet," in which a small-town of the 1950s coexists with "an underworld of nightmarish perversion," "Roger Rabbit," "with it's interplay between the cartoon world and the real world," "Blade Runner," which sets up a world where "humans act like machines and machines act like humans," and "Last Action Hero," where "a boy watches a movie and enters the screen to share the adventure." In these and other postmodern films, the reality/truth distinction is blurred and reality is considered nothing more than an "imaginative construction." Veith writes, "what they all have in common is playing with the conventionality of movie making and movie watching." In setting up fictionalized worlds and then confusing the boundaries between them, these films call into question the barriers we set up between what we think is real and what we think is made up; what is real and what is fiction? That's the question! There is not real reality, no true truth, no linear time, and no dimensional boundaries. Everything is confused and chaotic. Can you think of other movies that would fit into the postmodern genre?
Veith cites as examples of postmodernist cinematic chaos David Lynch's "Blue Velvet," in which a small-town of the 1950s coexists with "an underworld of nightmarish perversion," "Roger Rabbit," "with it's interplay between the cartoon world and the real world," "Blade Runner," which sets up a world where "humans act like machines and machines act like humans," and "Last Action Hero," where "a boy watches a movie and enters the screen to share the adventure." In these and other postmodern films, the reality/truth distinction is blurred and reality is considered nothing more than an "imaginative construction." Veith writes, "what they all have in common is playing with the conventionality of movie making and movie watching." In setting up fictionalized worlds and then confusing the boundaries between them, these films call into question the barriers we set up between what we think is real and what we think is made up; what is real and what is fiction? That's the question! There is not real reality, no true truth, no linear time, and no dimensional boundaries. Everything is confused and chaotic. Can you think of other movies that would fit into the postmodern genre?
Thursday, September 17, 2009
From Calm to Chaos
Since the 1940s the western world has been immersed in a somewhat subtle, howbeit dramatic shift in the way it deals with the questions of ultimate reality. So drastic has been this mindset re-orientation, that many are not merely rethinking truth claims, they are actually considering the possibility that there may not be an ultimate reality. Others have already concluded that truth claims are simply culturally shaped, linguistically defined, and locally applied; that there is no "true truth" or "real reality" which transcends localized interpretation. Labeled postmodernism, this new way of looking at reality has now begun to "trickle down" from its inception among the lofty hills of academia to the work-a-day world of average westerners. Though most could not define it, postmodernism's effects can be seen today in the arts and entertainment industry, the legal and governmental arenas, and the world of theology and religion.
Postmodern themes are not simply fuel for theoretical dialogue; they have increasingly become the stuff which culture feeds upon. The Simpson family began each episode by racing home to watch the weekly installment of the Simpsons on their TV, thereby representing the breakdown between fiction and reality. The Simpsons were a cartoon family who were aware of their status as cartoon characters. They represent the fact that in a postmodern world it is not the actual family that matters but its TV representation. TV is the real world. Fiction is real and reality is fiction. It is a question of REEL vs Real!
Chris Carter, the producer of the X Files and Millennium, proved himself to be extremely adept at introducing postmodern themes to mass audiences. Both shows portrayed the search for an illusive "truth" that was never realized; they valued science and reason in favor of the paranormal and the supernatural, while giving a sense of impending cultural collapse.
Another TV genre which still supplies the market with postmodern themes is the "talk show." Talk show hosts interview a variety of guests who exhibit behavioral patterns that break "old moral" codes and celebrate relativism. The guests are "warmly accepted" by the host and the studio audience, except for a few who are unattractively judgemental. The guests seem normal and tolerance is the rule of thumb. The TV people are "real people" with real problems.
The reality-based TV program finds it's ultimate expression when the camera follows police officers or paramedics on their nightly rounds. The footage shows real cops or emergency personnel in pursuit of their duty. Yet, each episode is edited to include scenes where actors step into actual footage, and where the drama is "beefed-up" for audience appeal. This turns truth into a TV show and hopelessly blurs the truth/fiction distinction.
Postmodernism, you see, has no real-reality to which it clings, so all of life is a blur between what is truth and what is fiction. and nobody really knows the difference. Can you think of other TV shows that add to this confusion?
Postmodern themes are not simply fuel for theoretical dialogue; they have increasingly become the stuff which culture feeds upon. The Simpson family began each episode by racing home to watch the weekly installment of the Simpsons on their TV, thereby representing the breakdown between fiction and reality. The Simpsons were a cartoon family who were aware of their status as cartoon characters. They represent the fact that in a postmodern world it is not the actual family that matters but its TV representation. TV is the real world. Fiction is real and reality is fiction. It is a question of REEL vs Real!
Chris Carter, the producer of the X Files and Millennium, proved himself to be extremely adept at introducing postmodern themes to mass audiences. Both shows portrayed the search for an illusive "truth" that was never realized; they valued science and reason in favor of the paranormal and the supernatural, while giving a sense of impending cultural collapse.
Another TV genre which still supplies the market with postmodern themes is the "talk show." Talk show hosts interview a variety of guests who exhibit behavioral patterns that break "old moral" codes and celebrate relativism. The guests are "warmly accepted" by the host and the studio audience, except for a few who are unattractively judgemental. The guests seem normal and tolerance is the rule of thumb. The TV people are "real people" with real problems.
The reality-based TV program finds it's ultimate expression when the camera follows police officers or paramedics on their nightly rounds. The footage shows real cops or emergency personnel in pursuit of their duty. Yet, each episode is edited to include scenes where actors step into actual footage, and where the drama is "beefed-up" for audience appeal. This turns truth into a TV show and hopelessly blurs the truth/fiction distinction.
Postmodernism, you see, has no real-reality to which it clings, so all of life is a blur between what is truth and what is fiction. and nobody really knows the difference. Can you think of other TV shows that add to this confusion?
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Why does a good God allow suffering? part two
My experience with suffering, sorrow, disease, and death has led me to three conclusions. First, no one has the complete answer, accept God! To insist that every question about sorrow and disease must have a clinical or comprehensive answer is to reduce God to nothing more than a logical proposition or a mathematical formula. The fact that God is consistently wise, just, true and faithful is clear, but this is not to say that we can strip Him down and understand how He works, as if He were an internal combustion engine. God is beyond our understanding (Isaiah 55:8-9; Romans 11:33). The mystery of God defies our attempt to tame it by reason. God's infinite transcendence means that there are issues on which we who are finite are simply unqualified to pronoun a definitive verdict.
Secondly, it is clear to me that God does not owe us an explanation. Where did we ever get the idea that God owes us anything, anyhow? As creatures, our lives are in His hand. He is God and we are not! If He chooses to make something clear to us, then we praise Him, if not, we praise Him still. Job ran up against this truth. The whole book of Job revolves around the question of suffering. Chapter one is a chronicle of Job's suffering. His initial response was one of faith. "Naked I came into the world; naked I will leave. But blest be the name of the Lord." After the counsel of his friends, and the continuation of his distress, he seemed to wavier in his trust. Finally, confused and confounded he strikes back at God. Why? Why has this happened to me? When God replies, He addresses Job's ignorance of the world's natural order to reveal his ignorance of the world's moral order.
"Who is this that darkens counsel without knowledge? Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you will make it known to me. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have any understanding. Who determined its measure--surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?..." (Job 38:2-11)
If job could not comprehend the workings of the physical order, how could he possibly understand God's mind and character? God did not give Job an explanation and He does not owe us one.
Thirdly, I believe we would do better to consider the issue a mystery rather than a problem. To call the question of sorrow, suffering, disease, and death a mystery is not to evade the issue; it simply suggests that we may not have all the data yet.
I actually see the issue of suffering and disease as four mysteries. One is the mystery of creation and moral choice. God created the universe and has absolute control over everything in it. Yet there are some things God can't do. He cannot violate His nature. For example, He cannot be cruel. He cannot lie. He cannot break a promise. And He cannot make a man who has freedom of will, then guarantee that he always chooses rightly. The point is simple, if God was going to make a world in which there were genuinely free moral beings, then He would have to create a world with the possibly that those free moral beings would choose wrongly.
Another mystery in the discussion I would call the mystery of blame and cause. When tragedy hits the front pages, God often gets the blame. Where was God when two planes hit the World Trade Center? Where was God when a tidal wave hit the shores of Indian Ocean rim and several thousand people were swept into eternity? Where was God when a sniper murdered a dozen folks along the Washington DC beltway? I would respond by saying, just how is all this God's fault? If man utilizes his moral freedom to defy God's laws and precepts, and thus launches a cause and effect chain of consequences that results in a groaning planet, or a murderous rampage, how can we blame God?
The still another mystery in the equation is the mystery of momentary pain and eternal pleasure. We are inclined to identify good with whatever is pleasant to us at the present, and evil with whatever is unpleasant, uncomfortable, or disturbing at the present. Yet from a Biblical perspective, good is not defined as that which produces personal pleasure, but that which works in us God's holiness. Further, Scripture sees pain as temporary, and holiness and the glory it reveals in us as permanent, eternal.
Finally the discussion addresses what I will call the mystery of a good God dying for sinful man. God did not create sin; He merely provided the options necessary for moral freedom. We choice sin, and with it set in motion a cause and effect world of sorrow, suffering, disease, and death. But God didn't stand back, content to watch the developing tragedy. He came to earth in the form of His son, subjected Himself to sorrow and death, dying to set us free from the terrible consequences our choices unleashed on us and the world. If you want to see how much God cares about our sorrow, suffering, disease, and death, look to the cross and see a good God dying for sinful man!
Secondly, it is clear to me that God does not owe us an explanation. Where did we ever get the idea that God owes us anything, anyhow? As creatures, our lives are in His hand. He is God and we are not! If He chooses to make something clear to us, then we praise Him, if not, we praise Him still. Job ran up against this truth. The whole book of Job revolves around the question of suffering. Chapter one is a chronicle of Job's suffering. His initial response was one of faith. "Naked I came into the world; naked I will leave. But blest be the name of the Lord." After the counsel of his friends, and the continuation of his distress, he seemed to wavier in his trust. Finally, confused and confounded he strikes back at God. Why? Why has this happened to me? When God replies, He addresses Job's ignorance of the world's natural order to reveal his ignorance of the world's moral order.
"Who is this that darkens counsel without knowledge? Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you will make it known to me. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have any understanding. Who determined its measure--surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?..." (Job 38:2-11)
If job could not comprehend the workings of the physical order, how could he possibly understand God's mind and character? God did not give Job an explanation and He does not owe us one.
Thirdly, I believe we would do better to consider the issue a mystery rather than a problem. To call the question of sorrow, suffering, disease, and death a mystery is not to evade the issue; it simply suggests that we may not have all the data yet.
I actually see the issue of suffering and disease as four mysteries. One is the mystery of creation and moral choice. God created the universe and has absolute control over everything in it. Yet there are some things God can't do. He cannot violate His nature. For example, He cannot be cruel. He cannot lie. He cannot break a promise. And He cannot make a man who has freedom of will, then guarantee that he always chooses rightly. The point is simple, if God was going to make a world in which there were genuinely free moral beings, then He would have to create a world with the possibly that those free moral beings would choose wrongly.
Another mystery in the discussion I would call the mystery of blame and cause. When tragedy hits the front pages, God often gets the blame. Where was God when two planes hit the World Trade Center? Where was God when a tidal wave hit the shores of Indian Ocean rim and several thousand people were swept into eternity? Where was God when a sniper murdered a dozen folks along the Washington DC beltway? I would respond by saying, just how is all this God's fault? If man utilizes his moral freedom to defy God's laws and precepts, and thus launches a cause and effect chain of consequences that results in a groaning planet, or a murderous rampage, how can we blame God?
The still another mystery in the equation is the mystery of momentary pain and eternal pleasure. We are inclined to identify good with whatever is pleasant to us at the present, and evil with whatever is unpleasant, uncomfortable, or disturbing at the present. Yet from a Biblical perspective, good is not defined as that which produces personal pleasure, but that which works in us God's holiness. Further, Scripture sees pain as temporary, and holiness and the glory it reveals in us as permanent, eternal.
Finally the discussion addresses what I will call the mystery of a good God dying for sinful man. God did not create sin; He merely provided the options necessary for moral freedom. We choice sin, and with it set in motion a cause and effect world of sorrow, suffering, disease, and death. But God didn't stand back, content to watch the developing tragedy. He came to earth in the form of His son, subjected Himself to sorrow and death, dying to set us free from the terrible consequences our choices unleashed on us and the world. If you want to see how much God cares about our sorrow, suffering, disease, and death, look to the cross and see a good God dying for sinful man!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Why does a good God allow suffering?
When theists ponder evil and suffering, they inevitably phrase the question, "why would a good God allow evil and suffering." A simple examination of the question itself leads to five observations.
1) There is a God!
2) He is a good God!
3) He is a sovereign God!
4) Suffering is a reality!
5) The good and sovereign God allows suffering! But why does He do so?
The debate has raged for centuries. Even the Bible does not avoid raising the issue. Jesus faced the challenge on a number of occasions. Sometimes it came to Him in subtle forms, sometimes directly. One of the most striking incidences in which He faced the problem of a good God and an evil world is recorded the 9th chapter of John's gospel. The discussion ensues on the heels of one of the lengthiest reports of any miracle He preformed.
As Jesus was walking along with His disciples, they crossed the path of a man who was blind from birth. The disciples weren't just content to witness the miracle of sight retored, they wanted to know more. They sought an explanation for his blindness. "Who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind" (John 9:2)? Is he responsibile for his suffering or is someone else? It was widely held that suffering, especially the diaster of blindness, resulted from sin. The disciples evidently accepted this, but the present case perplexed them. There were serious difficulties in seeing how a man who was born blind could have sinned himself, thus resulting in his lack of sight. And it is not much easier to think that a man should bear such a punishment for the sin of his parents. So the disciples put the question to Jesus.
The Master completely surprised them with His answer that it was neither the man nor his parents who were responsible for his physical challenge. "It was so the works of God might be made manifest in him" (John 9:3). But how does this response help? Has God caused the suffering of this man so that God might gain some greater glory? Is that the way God works? Does He toy with His creation to get something for Himself? At first glance it may appear so, but in comparing Scripture with Scripture we know it isn't that simple. What is clear from the response here is that God is at work, and we want to know why He works this way.
Again and again the challenge is raised. Sometime ago I stood over the bed of a 17 year old boy with muscular dystrophy, his twisted frame a testimony to the agony of living with that dread diease all these years. He's a geniune believer, knows he going to heaven to get a new body, and has an incredible attitude in spite of the suffering he has endured for so long. WHY does a good and sovereign God allow such a thing?
We pray constantly for a little girl whose grandfather is a member of our deacon board. She was born with spina bifida; has undergone over twenty different surgeries in her young life; and will never be able walk like you and me. WHY?
Nearly three years ago an unspeakable tragedy occurred in our community when a little boy accidently shot his younger brother to death. Their father works on our church staff, and his mother plays the piano during our worship services. They love God like few people I know, and have given themselves to building of the kingdom of God. All that is in me wants to know WHY!
Like every pastor I have buried young and old alike, many with dieased wracked bodies, others lossing their lives in aweful accidents. These include: Keith-42, Greg-36, Brent-51, Shane-29, Josh-16, Brittany-23, Jim-62, and many more. I have counseled the parents of run-away children; spouses with run-away partners; pastors with run-away church members; and many people with run-away depression; each one crying out to the Lord God of heaven, WHY?
Is it enough to say that God is at work in them for His greater glory? Is it enough to say, "Trust Him, it will all work out one day?" What do we say? How do we respond? Can you help me so I can help them?
1) There is a God!
2) He is a good God!
3) He is a sovereign God!
4) Suffering is a reality!
5) The good and sovereign God allows suffering! But why does He do so?
The debate has raged for centuries. Even the Bible does not avoid raising the issue. Jesus faced the challenge on a number of occasions. Sometimes it came to Him in subtle forms, sometimes directly. One of the most striking incidences in which He faced the problem of a good God and an evil world is recorded the 9th chapter of John's gospel. The discussion ensues on the heels of one of the lengthiest reports of any miracle He preformed.
As Jesus was walking along with His disciples, they crossed the path of a man who was blind from birth. The disciples weren't just content to witness the miracle of sight retored, they wanted to know more. They sought an explanation for his blindness. "Who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind" (John 9:2)? Is he responsibile for his suffering or is someone else? It was widely held that suffering, especially the diaster of blindness, resulted from sin. The disciples evidently accepted this, but the present case perplexed them. There were serious difficulties in seeing how a man who was born blind could have sinned himself, thus resulting in his lack of sight. And it is not much easier to think that a man should bear such a punishment for the sin of his parents. So the disciples put the question to Jesus.
The Master completely surprised them with His answer that it was neither the man nor his parents who were responsible for his physical challenge. "It was so the works of God might be made manifest in him" (John 9:3). But how does this response help? Has God caused the suffering of this man so that God might gain some greater glory? Is that the way God works? Does He toy with His creation to get something for Himself? At first glance it may appear so, but in comparing Scripture with Scripture we know it isn't that simple. What is clear from the response here is that God is at work, and we want to know why He works this way.
Again and again the challenge is raised. Sometime ago I stood over the bed of a 17 year old boy with muscular dystrophy, his twisted frame a testimony to the agony of living with that dread diease all these years. He's a geniune believer, knows he going to heaven to get a new body, and has an incredible attitude in spite of the suffering he has endured for so long. WHY does a good and sovereign God allow such a thing?
We pray constantly for a little girl whose grandfather is a member of our deacon board. She was born with spina bifida; has undergone over twenty different surgeries in her young life; and will never be able walk like you and me. WHY?
Nearly three years ago an unspeakable tragedy occurred in our community when a little boy accidently shot his younger brother to death. Their father works on our church staff, and his mother plays the piano during our worship services. They love God like few people I know, and have given themselves to building of the kingdom of God. All that is in me wants to know WHY!
Like every pastor I have buried young and old alike, many with dieased wracked bodies, others lossing their lives in aweful accidents. These include: Keith-42, Greg-36, Brent-51, Shane-29, Josh-16, Brittany-23, Jim-62, and many more. I have counseled the parents of run-away children; spouses with run-away partners; pastors with run-away church members; and many people with run-away depression; each one crying out to the Lord God of heaven, WHY?
Is it enough to say that God is at work in them for His greater glory? Is it enough to say, "Trust Him, it will all work out one day?" What do we say? How do we respond? Can you help me so I can help them?
Friday, September 11, 2009
How could this happen?
I guess you remember where you were and what you were doing the morning of September 11, 2001. I recall everything vividly. I was at work in the church office, preparing for our weekly staff meeting. Before we could begin, my wife called, and emotionally suggested we turn on the TV. We tuned in to one of the major networks just in time to see the second plane plow into the World Trade Center. Silently, almost breathlessly, we watched the story unfold. After a while we moved into the sanctuary for prayer. The rest of the day was a surreal experience, with many callers asking "how could this happen?"
Of course most people wanted to know how God could let a thing like this happen? The truth is, every time some catastrophe occurs, some tragedy strikes, or some life is taken prematurely, we are compelled to ask, why?
When addressing the issue of evil and suffering of any nature, we are dealing with the most difficult challenge to the Christian faith. In a recently released book, "There is a God," former atheist Anthony Flew gives a biographical sketch of his conversion from atheism to theism. His change of heart occurred through his friendship with Christian apologist Gary Habermas, and through the development of the Intelligent Design explanation of the origin of the universe. His bold testimonial sent shock waves through the atheistic community, who once considered Flew its most articulate and systematic spokesman. Yet, he still hasn't embraced Christianity, largely because of the problem of evil and suffering. His difficulty is the same as that of English philosopher David Hume, French theorist Voltaire, and other notables thinkers. J.L. Mackie makes his case against God and Christianity in his work entitled, "The Miracle of Theism." He argues it this way, "If a good and powerful God exists, he would not allow pointless evil. But because there is so much unjustifiable, pointless evil in the world, the traditional good and powerful God cannot exist. Some other god, or no god at all may exist, but not the traditional one." Of course, Mackie's observation that the world is inundated with pointless evil is indefensible. Is it pointless? Could there not be some reason for the existence of evil and suffering, or at the very least a plausible explanation as to why a good God would allow good and evil to co-exist in the universe He created? Hence there is Christianity's most difficult challenge. How do you answer the issue? I'll give you mine later.
Of course most people wanted to know how God could let a thing like this happen? The truth is, every time some catastrophe occurs, some tragedy strikes, or some life is taken prematurely, we are compelled to ask, why?
When addressing the issue of evil and suffering of any nature, we are dealing with the most difficult challenge to the Christian faith. In a recently released book, "There is a God," former atheist Anthony Flew gives a biographical sketch of his conversion from atheism to theism. His change of heart occurred through his friendship with Christian apologist Gary Habermas, and through the development of the Intelligent Design explanation of the origin of the universe. His bold testimonial sent shock waves through the atheistic community, who once considered Flew its most articulate and systematic spokesman. Yet, he still hasn't embraced Christianity, largely because of the problem of evil and suffering. His difficulty is the same as that of English philosopher David Hume, French theorist Voltaire, and other notables thinkers. J.L. Mackie makes his case against God and Christianity in his work entitled, "The Miracle of Theism." He argues it this way, "If a good and powerful God exists, he would not allow pointless evil. But because there is so much unjustifiable, pointless evil in the world, the traditional good and powerful God cannot exist. Some other god, or no god at all may exist, but not the traditional one." Of course, Mackie's observation that the world is inundated with pointless evil is indefensible. Is it pointless? Could there not be some reason for the existence of evil and suffering, or at the very least a plausible explanation as to why a good God would allow good and evil to co-exist in the universe He created? Hence there is Christianity's most difficult challenge. How do you answer the issue? I'll give you mine later.
How holy is God?
Before we can understand what it means to be holy, we must understand what it means to say that God is holy. In many way God's holiness is His central attribute. Holiness is what makes God God. It is the foundational truth of revelation. How important is it? It is the only attribute of God mentioned in triplicate. Two times the Bible tells us that God is "holy, holy, holy" (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8). Think about that for a moment. If God says something about His character once, that settles it. When He says it twice, that emphasizes it. But when He says it three times, that means it's of supreme importance. The Bible never says that God is love, love, love; or mercy, mercy, mercy; or just, just, just. But it does says He is "holy, holy, holy."
Holiness is the most difficult of God's attributes to define, because it deals with the essence of His character. Defining holiness is like trying to define God. It can't be done completely. The word itself means "to be set apart." A thing is holy if it is set aside for special use. We could use other words like different or distinctive to get at some understanding of the word. When applied to God, holiness is that characteristic that separates Him from creation. There are many verses that speak of God as separate from creation, and that He is forever reigning over it.
We can go a step further and say that anything that is holy is set apart for God. That's why we call the Bible holy; it is the Word of God. We call Israel's home, the holy land, because it is the land He chose for His people. The Sabbath is holy for it is set aside for Him. We even refer to the angels as Holy Angels because they belong to Him.
There is a second meaning for the word holy, that is "to be utterly pure, separated from sin." The Bibles tells us that God cannot sin, and that He cannot tempt others to sin. In fact, God is so pure that He cannot tolerate sin in His presence. That leads to an important implication; holiness and sin cannot co-exist. If you want to be holy as God is holy, then you must adopt His attitude toward sin. You must abhor it as He does. If you coddle sin, excuse it, or dabble in it, then you can't be holy as God is holy. Further, this teaches that sin cannot enter into His presence. That means no sinner will dwell in heaven with Him.
In Hebrews 12:29 we read, "Our God is a consuming fire." What is a consuming fire? It is not hell as much as it is the presence of God. God rained a shower of burning flame in judgment on Sodom. God showed Himself as fire when He spoke to Moses out of a burning bush. He led the children of Israel during the exodus with a pillar of fire. God was there dwelling in awesome fire. In Psalm 24 the Psalmist asked, "Who can abide devouring fire?" Who among us can stand before the face of a holy God and not be obliterated by His flaming presence? The answer is, those whose sin was judged by God's devouring fire in Christ, on the cross. Everyone else will be destroyed by His burning wrath. GOD IS HOLY!
Holiness is the most difficult of God's attributes to define, because it deals with the essence of His character. Defining holiness is like trying to define God. It can't be done completely. The word itself means "to be set apart." A thing is holy if it is set aside for special use. We could use other words like different or distinctive to get at some understanding of the word. When applied to God, holiness is that characteristic that separates Him from creation. There are many verses that speak of God as separate from creation, and that He is forever reigning over it.
We can go a step further and say that anything that is holy is set apart for God. That's why we call the Bible holy; it is the Word of God. We call Israel's home, the holy land, because it is the land He chose for His people. The Sabbath is holy for it is set aside for Him. We even refer to the angels as Holy Angels because they belong to Him.
There is a second meaning for the word holy, that is "to be utterly pure, separated from sin." The Bibles tells us that God cannot sin, and that He cannot tempt others to sin. In fact, God is so pure that He cannot tolerate sin in His presence. That leads to an important implication; holiness and sin cannot co-exist. If you want to be holy as God is holy, then you must adopt His attitude toward sin. You must abhor it as He does. If you coddle sin, excuse it, or dabble in it, then you can't be holy as God is holy. Further, this teaches that sin cannot enter into His presence. That means no sinner will dwell in heaven with Him.
In Hebrews 12:29 we read, "Our God is a consuming fire." What is a consuming fire? It is not hell as much as it is the presence of God. God rained a shower of burning flame in judgment on Sodom. God showed Himself as fire when He spoke to Moses out of a burning bush. He led the children of Israel during the exodus with a pillar of fire. God was there dwelling in awesome fire. In Psalm 24 the Psalmist asked, "Who can abide devouring fire?" Who among us can stand before the face of a holy God and not be obliterated by His flaming presence? The answer is, those whose sin was judged by God's devouring fire in Christ, on the cross. Everyone else will be destroyed by His burning wrath. GOD IS HOLY!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Does God change?
"All that God is, He has always been, and all that He has been and is, He ever will be." This assertion, made my Anselm of Canterbury, expresses the immutability of God. To say that God is immutable is to say that He is not subject to mutation or change; that He never differs from Himself. For a moral being like God to change He would either have to go from worse to better or from better to worse. Since God is absolutely holy and perfectly righteous, He cannnot change for the better. And because God is eternally the same, He cannot change for the worse. God is morally always the same. Nor does He change in His essence, or nature. Whatever the attributes of God were before He laid the foundation of the world, they are precisely the same now, and will forever remain so. He is "semper idem," always the same.
In Malachi 3:8 God declares, "I am the Lord, I change not." He doesn't evolve, learn, discover, or develop. Likewire, He doesn't weaken, deteriorate, abate, or expire. He never says, "Oh no, I didn't know that." Nothing ever comes to Him as new information. Nothing dawns on Him. By the way, He is the only being in the universe who can rightly assert, " I change not."
In contrast to God's unchangeableness, we humans are subjected to steady, irresistible atrophy. That is, was are always wasting away, decaying, dying. To deny it is to deny the obvious. To try to stop it is foolish. We don't mind saying that someone else is changing. We say, "Isn't she looking older." "Isn't he looking more and more like his father." " She certainly has lost her figure, hasn't she?" But what we don't mind observing about others, we have trouble accepting about ourselves; even though the evidence is right there in the mirror. And we do try to stop it. Just about any part of the body can be surgically enhanced, improved or altered these days. We can have a nip or tuck, a lift or release, a re-do or un-do, deconstruction or reconstruction. We can exercies, diet, fast, or cover. But whatever we try, we can't stop the steady irreversible processes that are gradually sending each of us toward the grave. We change! We grow! We weaken! We deteriorate! We abate! We die! And while all this is happening to us, God never varies from Himself in any way.
Because of the immutability of God, our faith has found a firm resting place. We believe and trust in a God who never changes!!!
In Malachi 3:8 God declares, "I am the Lord, I change not." He doesn't evolve, learn, discover, or develop. Likewire, He doesn't weaken, deteriorate, abate, or expire. He never says, "Oh no, I didn't know that." Nothing ever comes to Him as new information. Nothing dawns on Him. By the way, He is the only being in the universe who can rightly assert, " I change not."
In contrast to God's unchangeableness, we humans are subjected to steady, irresistible atrophy. That is, was are always wasting away, decaying, dying. To deny it is to deny the obvious. To try to stop it is foolish. We don't mind saying that someone else is changing. We say, "Isn't she looking older." "Isn't he looking more and more like his father." " She certainly has lost her figure, hasn't she?" But what we don't mind observing about others, we have trouble accepting about ourselves; even though the evidence is right there in the mirror. And we do try to stop it. Just about any part of the body can be surgically enhanced, improved or altered these days. We can have a nip or tuck, a lift or release, a re-do or un-do, deconstruction or reconstruction. We can exercies, diet, fast, or cover. But whatever we try, we can't stop the steady irreversible processes that are gradually sending each of us toward the grave. We change! We grow! We weaken! We deteriorate! We abate! We die! And while all this is happening to us, God never varies from Himself in any way.
Because of the immutability of God, our faith has found a firm resting place. We believe and trust in a God who never changes!!!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
How old is God?
It's not enough to know that God is. I must know who He is, what He is like, and how He relates to my life and mine to His. Life changes; we decay. We hurt; we die. Nothing in this life is for sure. That's why you and I need a God who is bigger that life; and certainly one who is bigger than death. We need a God who cannot get sick, grow weak, or die. Myths won't work. Magic won't do. Creeds, theories, and abstractions do not excite, or satisfy. We need a God who is everlastingly the same.
Of the attributes of God discussed by the composer of Psalm 90, the assertion that He is "from everylasting to everlasting" is most encouraging. The phrase denotes His eternal existence. In order to reinforce this declaration, he compares the eternity of God with the brevity of man. The Psalmist says that
* God is eternal in His sovereignty- He is "Adonai," "The Sovereign Lord."
* God is eternal in His tenderness- He is our "den," or "dwelling place."
* God is eternal in His power- He "formed the earth and the world."
* God is eternal in His sympathy- He says to man, "Arise, O children of men."
In contrast, and to add weight to the truth of God's eternity, the Psalmist uses three natural analogies to describe the fraility of man. Man's life is as
* A flood- As the torrent rushes down the river-bed and sweeps away everything in its path, so man is here and soon gone.
* Sleep- Sometimes it seems as if the night wears on forever. But at other times it's all to brief, and as quickly as you lie down it's time to rise.
* Grass- As grass is green in the morning, and lies in the barn at night, so is man's life.
What on earth is frailer than man? Nothing! Not so our God! He is "from everlasting to everlasting." He is from the eternal yesterday (from everlasting). Go back in your mind as far as you can, and God is there. Let your thoughts carry you back past the day of your birth, and that of your parents, back past the founding of our republic, back still to the days of Christ, then continue until your mind's eye sees Adam and the garden and perfection. Then from the beginning, go back still further, until the cherubim's song is silenced and until the ministering seraphs are yet futrue; and you will never reach a point in your mental time travel when God didn't exist. Likewise go into the all the tomorrows (to everlasting), until every earthly sovereign has relinquished his throne, until every kingdom has faded, until everything we know and have known has returned to dust. Go as far into tomorrow as your mind can transport you and God will still be there. God is past, present, and future; God is yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He dwells in eternity, and because He is my home, I know that I too will live eternally.
Of the attributes of God discussed by the composer of Psalm 90, the assertion that He is "from everylasting to everlasting" is most encouraging. The phrase denotes His eternal existence. In order to reinforce this declaration, he compares the eternity of God with the brevity of man. The Psalmist says that
* God is eternal in His sovereignty- He is "Adonai," "The Sovereign Lord."
* God is eternal in His tenderness- He is our "den," or "dwelling place."
* God is eternal in His power- He "formed the earth and the world."
* God is eternal in His sympathy- He says to man, "Arise, O children of men."
In contrast, and to add weight to the truth of God's eternity, the Psalmist uses three natural analogies to describe the fraility of man. Man's life is as
* A flood- As the torrent rushes down the river-bed and sweeps away everything in its path, so man is here and soon gone.
* Sleep- Sometimes it seems as if the night wears on forever. But at other times it's all to brief, and as quickly as you lie down it's time to rise.
* Grass- As grass is green in the morning, and lies in the barn at night, so is man's life.
What on earth is frailer than man? Nothing! Not so our God! He is "from everlasting to everlasting." He is from the eternal yesterday (from everlasting). Go back in your mind as far as you can, and God is there. Let your thoughts carry you back past the day of your birth, and that of your parents, back past the founding of our republic, back still to the days of Christ, then continue until your mind's eye sees Adam and the garden and perfection. Then from the beginning, go back still further, until the cherubim's song is silenced and until the ministering seraphs are yet futrue; and you will never reach a point in your mental time travel when God didn't exist. Likewise go into the all the tomorrows (to everlasting), until every earthly sovereign has relinquished his throne, until every kingdom has faded, until everything we know and have known has returned to dust. Go as far into tomorrow as your mind can transport you and God will still be there. God is past, present, and future; God is yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He dwells in eternity, and because He is my home, I know that I too will live eternally.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Is God really in control?
To say that God is sovereign is to say that He is the supreme Lord over all creation; that He is absolutely free and independent, working His will without resistence or reprisal. Whatever He wills will come to pass, whether on earth on in heaven. Though some have attempted to usurp Him, every creature on earth will eventually bow before His sovereignty. He is unrivalled in majesty, unlimited in power, and unaffected by anything otuside of Himself. Yet how do we reconcile the truth that God is an absolutely free being with the idea that man has free will as well?
Having determined to create humanity in His own image, God of necessity had to endow man with freedom, for God Himself is free. Yet being a creature and not creator, man is naturally subordinate to the creator God. So man the creature has limited freedom while God the creator is absolutely free and independent. To see these truths work in coordination we go back to the Garden of Eden. Having been placed in paradise, Adam was given maximum liberty and limited prohibition. God instructed him, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die" (Genesis 2:16-17). Help yourself to the fruit of the trees of the garden, but not of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The choice itself represents the fact of man's freedom, but the consequences that would result speaks of the limitation of that freedom.
God sovereignly placed man in the garden as a conditional being, with limited free will. And regardless of how man exercies his freedom, God's sovereign purpose will be achieved. In his classic work, The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer offers an illustration of God's absolute freedom verses man's conditional freedom. He writes.
"An ocean liner leaves New York bound for Liverpool. Its destination has been determined by proper authorities. Nothing can change it...On board the liner are several scores of passengers. These are not in chains, neither are their activities determined for them by decree. They are completely free to move about as they will. They eat, sleep, play, lounge about on the deck, read, talk, altogether as they please; but all the while the great liner is carrying them steadily toward a predetermined port. Both freedom and sovereignty are present here and they do not contradict each other."
Human freedom is set by and based on the sovereign decrees of the only absolutely independent being in the universe. Man is free to make choices, but not free to evade the consequences of his choosing. Within the sovereignty-freewill dynamic, God allows humanity to choose the salvation He offers through His Son. To accept Him in faith is to receive everlasting life; to reject Him in unbelief is to receive everlasting death. If you have not chosen Him, may you do so today.
Having determined to create humanity in His own image, God of necessity had to endow man with freedom, for God Himself is free. Yet being a creature and not creator, man is naturally subordinate to the creator God. So man the creature has limited freedom while God the creator is absolutely free and independent. To see these truths work in coordination we go back to the Garden of Eden. Having been placed in paradise, Adam was given maximum liberty and limited prohibition. God instructed him, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die" (Genesis 2:16-17). Help yourself to the fruit of the trees of the garden, but not of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The choice itself represents the fact of man's freedom, but the consequences that would result speaks of the limitation of that freedom.
God sovereignly placed man in the garden as a conditional being, with limited free will. And regardless of how man exercies his freedom, God's sovereign purpose will be achieved. In his classic work, The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer offers an illustration of God's absolute freedom verses man's conditional freedom. He writes.
"An ocean liner leaves New York bound for Liverpool. Its destination has been determined by proper authorities. Nothing can change it...On board the liner are several scores of passengers. These are not in chains, neither are their activities determined for them by decree. They are completely free to move about as they will. They eat, sleep, play, lounge about on the deck, read, talk, altogether as they please; but all the while the great liner is carrying them steadily toward a predetermined port. Both freedom and sovereignty are present here and they do not contradict each other."
Human freedom is set by and based on the sovereign decrees of the only absolutely independent being in the universe. Man is free to make choices, but not free to evade the consequences of his choosing. Within the sovereignty-freewill dynamic, God allows humanity to choose the salvation He offers through His Son. To accept Him in faith is to receive everlasting life; to reject Him in unbelief is to receive everlasting death. If you have not chosen Him, may you do so today.
Monday, September 7, 2009
How Happy is God?
Most people picture God with a frowning face. He is viewed as a cosmic kill-joy whose commandments restrict us from having any fun whatsoever; a God who can't wait to zap us all into eternal damnation. Of course it is true that God hates sin, and His wrath is being kindled against those who work unrighteousness. But this is only one of God's characteristics. God is also a God who finds pleasure in His creation and His creatures. God is both joyful and the source of joy.
For some reason the joy of the Lord seems to be a neglected aspect of His nature and character. In an interesting passage from the pen of the Apostle Paul we read,
"Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexually, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted" (1 Timothy 1:8-11).
The word "blessed" found in verse 11 is the same term as employed by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, which means happy. The expression speaks of the "happy God." Our theology which teaches us about the righteousness, holiness, and justice of God, dosen't prohibit this understanding, even though we seldom think of God in this way.
Unfortunately, the word happy has been so redefined and trivialized in our culture that there is little wonder we hestitate to use happiness when referring to Christians and God. But I think we should reclaim this term. In Nehemiah we find a similar thought. "The joy of the Lord is your strength." I have always thought that the joy spoken of here is the joy which God gives to us, or the joy we experience as we delight in His presence. And of course this is so. God gives us joy because He has joy. He is the source of the "fruit of the spirit" which includes "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). Joy is both a description of God and of what He imparts to us as we grow into His likeness. Just search the Scriptures and see the evidence of God's pleasure and delight. Notice from the very beginning, that as each aspect of His creative work was completed, it was pronounced "good," and "very good." See the Father taking pleasure in choosing a people to bear His name (Deuteronomy 28:63); see as He delights in disciplining His sons (Proverbs 3:13); and see as He delights in crowning David as King for His people (2 Sameul 22:20). Then skipping ahead, see Jesus as He presses toward the cross because of the joy He experiences in doing the Father's will (Hebrews 12:1-3).
God is a God of great joy, a "happy God." He rejoices in creation, and He especially rejoices in the salvation of the lost. If we are God's true children, if we tune our hearts to His, then we will also be characterized as a people of great joy!
For some reason the joy of the Lord seems to be a neglected aspect of His nature and character. In an interesting passage from the pen of the Apostle Paul we read,
"Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexually, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted" (1 Timothy 1:8-11).
The word "blessed" found in verse 11 is the same term as employed by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, which means happy. The expression speaks of the "happy God." Our theology which teaches us about the righteousness, holiness, and justice of God, dosen't prohibit this understanding, even though we seldom think of God in this way.
Unfortunately, the word happy has been so redefined and trivialized in our culture that there is little wonder we hestitate to use happiness when referring to Christians and God. But I think we should reclaim this term. In Nehemiah we find a similar thought. "The joy of the Lord is your strength." I have always thought that the joy spoken of here is the joy which God gives to us, or the joy we experience as we delight in His presence. And of course this is so. God gives us joy because He has joy. He is the source of the "fruit of the spirit" which includes "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). Joy is both a description of God and of what He imparts to us as we grow into His likeness. Just search the Scriptures and see the evidence of God's pleasure and delight. Notice from the very beginning, that as each aspect of His creative work was completed, it was pronounced "good," and "very good." See the Father taking pleasure in choosing a people to bear His name (Deuteronomy 28:63); see as He delights in disciplining His sons (Proverbs 3:13); and see as He delights in crowning David as King for His people (2 Sameul 22:20). Then skipping ahead, see Jesus as He presses toward the cross because of the joy He experiences in doing the Father's will (Hebrews 12:1-3).
God is a God of great joy, a "happy God." He rejoices in creation, and He especially rejoices in the salvation of the lost. If we are God's true children, if we tune our hearts to His, then we will also be characterized as a people of great joy!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
How Good is God?
When we make the statement that God is good, what do we mean? Our natural tendency is to think that if God is good, and if He loves mankind, then He will make life pleasant for us, always. Consequently, when things go well for us, we're incline to believe that God indeed is good, but when things don't, we question His goodness and even His existence. But our current happiness is not the standard by which to judge God's goodness.
We are not the center of the universe, not the reference point against which goodness is determined. It sounds silly to even say, but we think and act as though God's goodness depends on how well we like what's going on. We are not in the position to judge the goodness of God's actions. We see to small a part of the overall picture--a picture that covers all time and all humanity, past, present, and future.
The only way for us to know whether God is good is to get to know Him, to experience His character first hand. When God reveals Himself to us, then we will know that He is good. Then we will know that His goodness is beyound imaging, that His goodness is pure and true and complete. As once who has had his fair share of physical, emotional, and spiritual struggles, I affirm with all that is in me that regardless of the day and what it holds, I have always found that my God is Good.
When we know that God is good, then we will begin to see Him as good as He turns our tragedies into triumps, and our sorrows into joy. And this the form God's goodness takes in the world: He works to bring every individual to knowledge of Himself and to an active relationship with Himself. This is goodness, to experience His love and guidance in our lives. Is God good? "There is no other good but one, that is God." He is the scourse of everything that is good. Nahum the prophet writes, "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and knows them that trust Him.? We must never allow ourselves a moment's unbelief in regard to God's goodness. Whatever else we may question, this is absolutely certain. God is good; though circumstances may vary, His nature is always the same. GOD IS GOOD!
We are not the center of the universe, not the reference point against which goodness is determined. It sounds silly to even say, but we think and act as though God's goodness depends on how well we like what's going on. We are not in the position to judge the goodness of God's actions. We see to small a part of the overall picture--a picture that covers all time and all humanity, past, present, and future.
The only way for us to know whether God is good is to get to know Him, to experience His character first hand. When God reveals Himself to us, then we will know that He is good. Then we will know that His goodness is beyound imaging, that His goodness is pure and true and complete. As once who has had his fair share of physical, emotional, and spiritual struggles, I affirm with all that is in me that regardless of the day and what it holds, I have always found that my God is Good.
When we know that God is good, then we will begin to see Him as good as He turns our tragedies into triumps, and our sorrows into joy. And this the form God's goodness takes in the world: He works to bring every individual to knowledge of Himself and to an active relationship with Himself. This is goodness, to experience His love and guidance in our lives. Is God good? "There is no other good but one, that is God." He is the scourse of everything that is good. Nahum the prophet writes, "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and knows them that trust Him.? We must never allow ourselves a moment's unbelief in regard to God's goodness. Whatever else we may question, this is absolutely certain. God is good; though circumstances may vary, His nature is always the same. GOD IS GOOD!
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