Showing posts with label absolute truth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label absolute truth. Show all posts
Monday, June 20, 2011
Rebellion or Reconciliation?
By Justin Edwards
Find out who you really are. Voddie Baucham gives us the questions and the answers to:
1. Who am I
2. Why am I here
3. What is wrong with the world
4. How can what is wrong, be made right.
Will you continue to rebel, or have you been or will you be reconciled to God through the Lord Jesus Christ?
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Jesus: Holy and Righteous God of Love and Wrath - Part 2
By Justin Edwards
Is the Jesus you know the Jesus of the Bible? Or is the jesus you know a figment of your imagination - one that you have crafted to be palatable with your lifestyle and worldview? If you do not have an objective and absolute source of truth from which to base your understanding of Jesus, then all you are left with is your opinion, the consequences of which will leave you condemned.
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| What do you know of The Great White Throne Judgment? |
The Jesus of the the Bible, on the other hand, is the glorious and sovereign King of the universe. He is Lord of lords and there is none like Him. He is supreme ruler of creation, robed in glory, majesty, power, and honor. This Jesus is beautiful and pure, and He is worthy of praise and worship. No, there is none like Him. And as yesterday's post clearly showed, the Jesus of the New Testament is the God of the Old Testament, and this God does not change. He is the First and the Last and He is a God of compassion, mercy, grace, and love. But His attributes do not stop there. The same Jesus who is compassionate, merciful, gracious, and loving is the same Jesus who is holy, righteous, just, and wrathful. Without understanding this Jesus, the One represented by the whole counsel of God, then one cannot know Him, or worse, one is not known by Him.
Let's begin with the holiness of God.
God Is Holy, Holy, Holy
And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” - Isaiah 6:3
And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” - Revelation 4:8
Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? - Exodus 15:11
There is none holy like the Lord; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. - 1 Samuel 2:2
The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! 2 The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. 3 Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! - Psalm 99:1-3
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. - Luke 1:35
What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God. - Mark 1:24
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” - Luke 5:8
What does it mean to be holy? Most simply, it means to be set apart. God is totally set apart from man. There is none like Him. He is totally "other". Note too that no other attribute of God is so elevated than that of His holiness. To make this point, R.C. Sproul says in The Holiness of God,
Only once in sacred Scripture is an attribute of God elevated to the third degree. Only once is a characteristic of God mentioned three times in succession. The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy. Not that He is merely holy, or even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy. The Bible never says that God is love, love, love; or mercy, mercy, mercy; or wrath, wrath, wrath; or justice, justice, justice. It does say that he is holy, holy, holy that the whole earth is full of His glory (source).
We must begin with the holiness of God; we must begin with the holiness of Christ, who is God. Jesus Christ is holy, holy, holy, and there is none like Him. Let us now look at the righteousness of God.
God Is Righteous
The Lord is righteous; he has cut the cords of the wicked. - Psalm 129:4
The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. - Deuteronomy 32:4
Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. - Psalm 97:2
Your righteousness is righteous forever, and your law is true. - Psalm 119:142
Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’ - Jeremiah 23:5-6
What is righteousness? This attribute of God defines His goodness, rightness, perfection, and justice. Psalm 18:30 says,
This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
His standard for good is perfection and is revealed through the Law. This is why we all fall so short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). This is what is revealed about the Law of the Lord in Psalm 19:7-9:
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
Yet, those who hold contempt for the perfect Law of God will by judged by the perfect Law of God. If you find yourself being one who has rejected the Word of God or dismissed it for any reason, or perhaps you love your sin more than the righteousness of Christ, know that you will be held accountable for your contempt of His righteousness. Psalm 1:5-6 tells us,
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
And perish you will if you are not reconciled by God through the Lord Jesus Christ. You will perish by the justice of God and under the wrath of God. You will perish under none other than the wrath of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was, who is, and who is to come.
This leads us into Part 3 that covers the divine justice and wrath of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Jesus: Holy and Righteous God of Love and Wrath - Part 1
By Justin Edwards
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| Opinions may be hazardous to your soul - read the source of Truth. |
The opening paragraph provides a brief contrast between today's liberal and missional postmodern jesus that has plagued the visible church and the Jesus who is clearly shown to be God in the inerrant and sufficient Holy Scriptures. The false jesus of postmodernism tells us the church should be only concerned with social justice and healing the world with a positive message of "love". They aim to redefine Christianity so to rid it of the Gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). The god of this world has blinded them to the glorious Gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4) and they have exchanged the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1:25). They are ignorant of the One True God of Scripture: the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of both the Old and New Testament.
Let's take a look at Scripture to see who Christ really is. By observing just a few verses (not exhaustive by any means), we can easily see that neither the God of the OT nor Jesus changes, we see that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament, we see that both God of the OT and Jesus is Lord, and we see that both are one in the same - the Alpha and Omega. If we do not base our understanding of Christ on the Word of God, then all we are left with are opinions based on the figment of our imagination, the consequences of which are fatally hazardous to the soul.
God Does Not Change
For I the Lord do not change... - Malachi 3:6
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. - James 1:17
God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind... - Numbers 23:19
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. - Hebrews 13:8
God of the OT and Jesus Are Both Lord
For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. - Deuteronomy 10:17
They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” - Revelation 17:14
I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. - 1 Timothy 6:13-16
Jesus Is God
God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” - Exodus 3:14
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” - John 8:58
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. - Colossians 2:8-9
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. - John 1:1
The Alpha and Omega
Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. - Isaiah 44:6
“Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he; I am the first, and I am the last. - Isaiah 48:12
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last - Revelation 1:17
And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. - Revelation 2:8
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” - Revelation 22:13
Now having established that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament, let's take a look at a few Scriptures showing God having compassion and showing grace toward His people (even to the wicked) in both testaments.
God Is Merciful, Gracious, and Love
The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. - Exodus 34:6
For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them. - Deuteronomy 4:31
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. - Psalm 86:5
For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. - Psalm 108:4
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. - John 13:1
He did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness. - Acts 14:17
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. - Luke 6:35-36
Yet even though Jesus is a God of love, grace, and mercy, Scripture reveals He is also a holy, righteous, just, and wrathful God. We'll take a look at these attributes of God later this week. Please continue to Part 2.
Friday, December 17, 2010
95 Theses to the Modern Evangelical Church
By Justin Edwards
Just as Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses to the Wittenburg Church Door in 1517 to dispute the corruption in the Roman Catholic Church, Sermonindex founder Greg Gordon has posted 95 Theses to the Modern Evangelical Church to the proverbial door of the internet to dispute the corruption in the [post]modern evangelical church. In a day where the church continues down the road of apostasy with many returning to the religious bondage of Rome; where false teachers are leading God's sheep astray; where people have heaped up teachers for themselves to tickle their itching ears; where God's Word is abused and twisted to fit liberal agendas; where God's love is overemphasized at the expense of His other attributes such as His holiness, righteousness, and justness; where relativism is more popular and accepted than God's absolute truth; where the visible church has conformed to the ways of the world to appease unregenerate people; where sin is tolerated and holiness is mocked; where the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is mutilated and watered down in order to fill CEO-led mega churches; where repentance is lost and easy-believism is hailed; where sanctification and discipleship is an option for the "believer"; where potential false converts are forbidden by "mature" Christians to examine themselves; and where the grace of our Lord is turned into lasciviousness, these 95 Theses to the Modern Evangelical Church could not have been more timely.
As Greg Gordon so gracefully said in opening his theses,
May God in His mercy come and revive North American Christianity for His glory alone. “May the Lamb of God receive the reward of His sufferings in our lives today!”
Indeed, and may these be received in the same humility as they were written, and may there be a remnant in the visible church who boldly rises up as the unashamed and true Body of Christ to flee from these houses of idolatry and zealously return to her first love through repentance. Soli deo Gloria!
1. The “church” at large has forgotten that the chief end of man is to glorify God. (Rom 16:27; 1Cor 6:20; Mt 6:9; 1Cor 10:31)
2. Christians ignore most of the methods, practices and principles found in the book of Acts. (Acts 2:42,44; Acts 2:46; Acts 2:38)
3. Many treat “church” like any other social club or sports event that they might attend. (Acts 2:46; Heb 10:25; Acts 1:14)
4. We’ve made Christianity about the individual rather than the community of believers. (Rom 12:5; 1Cor 12:12; 2Tim 4:16)
5. In most “churches” the priesthood of all believers isn’t acknowledged and the role of pastor is abused. (1Pt 2:9; 1Cor 12:12; Eph 4:11-13)
6. The “church” as a whole has lost the concept of their being grafted into the promises given to Israel. (Rom 11:15, 17-18, 20, 25)
7. There needs to be a recovery of teaching the whole counsel of God, especially in expository form. (Acts 20:27; 1Tim 4:6, 2Tim 2:15)
8. We take it too lightly that we have the blessing and honor of having God’s Scriptures in our possession. (Ps 119:16; Acts 13:44; Neh 8:9)
9. There has never been more access to the Word of God, yet so little reading of it. (1Tim 4:13; Neh 8:1-3; Ps 119:59)
10. Some read the Scriptures to attain knowledge, but do not practice what they read. (Ja 1:22; Mt 7:21; 3Jn 4)
11. Worship has become an idol in many “churches.” The music often resembles that of the world. (Amos 5:23; Phil 4:8; 1Jn 5:21)
12. The world is shaping the views of the “church” more than the “church” shaping the world. (Rom 12:2; Mt 5:13; 1Cor 1:22-23)
Friday, October 1, 2010
Sanctification: The Law of the Spirit
By Mike Ratliff
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1 ESV)
In this post we will look at Paul’s “therefore” he placed in the passage above. In other words, in Romans 8:1 Paul begins an important summary and conclusion which is related to his preceding arguments. We normally find that argument in the passages directly preceding the “therefore.” However, this “therefore” introduces the staggering results of all Paul’s teachings in the first seven chapters of Romans, which would include justification by faith alone on the basis of God’s overwhelming grace. Οὐδὲν ἄρα νῦν κατάκριμα τοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ ᾿Ιησοῦ. (Romans 8:1 GNT)
Nothing then is there now condemnation to the ones in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1 – word for word translation from Koine Greek to English)
The “therefore” in the ESV is coming from the Greek particle ἄρα or ara, which denotes, first, transition from one thing to another by natural sequence; secondly, logical inference; in which case, premises are either expressed or to be variously supplied. It is translated in the New Testament as therefore, then, consequently, and as a result. The word translated as “no” in the ESV and “Nothing” by me is οὐδὲν the accusative, singular form of οὐδείς or oudeis, which is a very good word to use here to describe “absolutely nothing.” However, this whole phrase swings on the word “now,” which is the word νῦν or nyn, which indicates the “present time, now.” The following is a quote from Mounce’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words page 474:
Understanding nyn is important theologically because it is used to reveal the current status of a Christian’s relationship with God. This comes through one of the most blessed phrases in the Bible, “but now.” The full implication of the gospel was hidden for ages, but now it is it is revealed that through Jesus Christ the promises are given to the Gentiles along with Israel (Ephesians 3:5). Therefore, those in Christ are “now” lights in the Lord (Ephesians 5:8). Paul explains that even as Gentiles were once enemies of God but now receive mercy because of Israel’s rejection of the Messiah, so Israel is now disobedient so that they may now receive the same mercy offered to the Gentiles (Romans 11:30-32).
Similarly, 1 Pet. 2:10 assures that , “once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have receive mercy” (cr. 2:25, “for you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and overseer of your souls”). Christians are called to a holy life because of grace “now” revealed through the appearing of the Savior (2 Timothy 1:10). Those in Jesus Christ are now justified by his blood and also now have received reconciliation (Romans 5:9, 11)…
What about that word “condemnation”? I heard Steve Furtick sorta preach on this passage the other day and his usage of this word was that this was that internal voice inside “condemning” us or making us feel guilty for not being “good enough” et cetera. Of course, Furtick and the rest of the emergent’s concept of grace is at best confused. The more they try to run from what they call “fundamentalism,” the more they find themselves being pinned down by legalism because they reject the clear teaching from God’s Word about grace and law. This word is κατάκριμα or katakrima, which means to divide, separate, judge. With the suffix of μα, which we have here, this is actually the result of judgment. This is a condemnatory judgment. It is only found in Romans 5:16, 18, and 8:1. In any case, Paul is telling us here that those in Christ have no condemnation from God. Why?
For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:2-8 ESV)
Why did Jesus, who is God the Son, come in the flesh? It was to bear the sins of those He came to save. He did succeed. This is why there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Paul makes some very interesting statements in this passage. Those truly in Christ walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. After that he makes comparisons. Paul is talking about the mind-set of those in Christ in comparison to those who are not. The regenerate have a different set of affections, mental processes and direction of the will than the natural man. The unbeliever’s basic disposition is to satisfy the cravings of their unredeemed flesh. Those whose minds are set on the flesh are hostile to God because they are spiritually dead, therefore, those truly in Christ have minds that are not set on the flesh and they are not hostile to God because they have been baptized into Christ and belong to Him.
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:9-11 ESV)
As I listen to the emergents give their reasons for their theology of unbelief and Christian agnosticism, I know that they would simply scoff at this study and say that I am just a Biblical literalist and we have no ability to really understand the Bible. Well, you know, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you, then you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit and that means that He will guide you into all truth and help you to see and understand God’s Word. When I see these people try to say they are the real “christians” who doubt and are full of unbelief and we are all a bunch of legalists because we can read and understand God’s Word, teach it and preach it, then I know that what we are dealing with there are people who are desperately religious, but they do not know my Lord nor does His Spirit dwell in them because, if He did, they would understand and see.
Soli Deo Gloria!
(HT: Possessing the Treasure)
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Creation: Believe It or Not
Now when you talk about origins you’re going to have to go back to Genesis. This is a book of origins. And let me put it again on the line where I put it last Lord’s day. Either you believe Genesis or you don’t. It’s that simple. Either you believe what Genesis says about all of those origins or you don’t. And that would include either you believe the creation account in Genesis 1 and 2 or you don’t. And if you don’t believe the Genesis account, then I just…I have to tell you, you have no hope of coming to the truth. You’re not going to discover it. Unconverted scientists aren’t going to discover it. You either believe Genesis or you don’t.And what is really intolerable is to say you believe the Bible but not just the Genesis creation account. You believe Genesis, you believe about the origin of sin, you believe chapter 3 on maybe. Or maybe you’re not sure about that because you don’t really believe there was an actual Adam and an actual Eve. You’ve got a small problem because Jesus said, “As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive,” and there was a real Christ, so you can be sure there was a real Adam. But just in case you don’t believe in a real Adam, maybe you don’t sign on until chapter 6, maybe you just believe the Flood. Well, maybe you don’t believe that, maybe you believe when the Tower of Babel is described later on in chapter 11, or maybe you don’t believe that. Maybe you don’t check in until Abraham shows up in chapter 12. Pretty ridiculous, isn’t it? Who are you to be sitting in judgment on Scripture?
You know, I’m never going to get caught in the trap of trying to prove to you that Genesis is true by science. I’m just going to proclaim to you what Genesis says and let science bow its knee to that explanation. As you will see, it will do that. All you can know about how God created is what He said. That’s all you can know. And if you don’t believe what He said about creation, what kind of precedent have you established for the rest of the Bible?
And what about the end? Do you know how all of redemptive history ends? You know how the whole story of humanity ends? It ends according to 2 Peter when the Lord uncreates the universe, I like to use that word. The elements melt with fervent heat. There’s some kind of a…literally an implosion as the nuclear structure, the atomic structure of the universe literally is totally turned against its existence and takes it right back out of existence when He uncreates, when the elements melt as with a fervent heat in that kind of nuclear holocaust that ends human history.
And immediately after that it says in Revelation that He creates a…what? A new heaven and a new earth. Let me ask you this, do you believe He can do that? Or is that going to be another umpteen billion years of evolutionary process to get the new heaven and the new earth cranked up? Is it going to take billions of years to evolve the new heaven and the new earth, or do you really believe God might be able to do that just by fiat, just by making the statement and calling it into existence? If you believe that, then what’s your problem in Genesis?
If God can wipe the entire universe out in a split second, if He can dissolve the whole thing, if He can send it reeling in the time of the Tribulation and refurbish it during the time of the Kingdom and then totally uncreate it at the end of the thousand years, if He can do all of that then I don’t know why you have a problem with Him creating it all in six days. You see, the implications of rejecting the account of Genesis are profound.
And listen to me because what I’m going to say is very important. It is not necessary to reject the six-day creation. It is not necessary. We have yielded up territory to evolution without cause. Science knows nothing. Science proves nothing that contradicts a six-day creation…nothing. In fact, science as it keeps advancing makes its own claims to evolution ridiculous, more ridiculous all the time. (Online source)
(HT: AM)
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Speaking the Truth in Love
- John MacArthur
Some people picture John as overly sentimental and egotistical, lying with his head on Jesus' shoulder and constantly referring to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. But that's not an accurate characterization of one of the "Son of thunder"! He loved Jesus deeply and was amazed that Jesus loved him--especially after he wanted to burn up the Samaritans and then secure a prominent place for himself in Christ's kingdom. Calling himself "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (e.g., John 21:20) was simply his way of marvelling over God's grace in his life.The twelve apostles included "John" (Matt. 10:2).
As much as he loved Jesus, John never allowed his love to deteriorate into mere sentimentalism. In fact, the proper balance between truth and love is the hallmark of his ministry. In his writings we find the word love more than eighty times and witness nearly seventy times. His profound love for Christ compelled him to be a teacher of love and a witness to the truth. To him, obedience to the truth was the highest expression of love. As 1 John 2:5 says, "Whoever keeps [God's] word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected."
John's greatest joy was to know that his spiritual children were walking in the truth (3 John 1:4). He firmly denounced anyone who attempted to divert them from that goal by denying or distorting God's Word.
Today, media talk shows and other influences have blurred the lines between opinion and truth. One man's opinion is purported to be as good as the next, and there's little talk about what's right or wrong.
Truth suffers even within the church because many Christians are willing to compromise it to avoid upsetting people. They forget that true love flourishes only in the atmosphere of biblical truth (Phil. 1:9).
Amid such confusion, God calls you to speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). The world doesn't need another opinion--it needs God's absolute and authoritative Word!
(HT: Grace to You - Drawing Near Daily Readings)
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Errors in the Bible?
By Arnold FruchtenbaumAriel Ministries
Q. Have you ever found any errors in the Bible?
A. No, in all my studying of Scriptures, whether by survey or detail, I have never found any errors whatsoever.
Often people will try to pinpoint errors, but these people either do not know the historical context, or they apply 20th century standards of the English language to the biblical text, forgetting that the text was not originally written in English.
For example, people have pointed out that there must be an error in the Book of Jonah, because the whale that swallowed Jonah is referred to as a "fish." These Bible error detectives continue, noting that the whale is a mammal and certainly not a "fish." Thus, they contend, the Word contains a mistake. This, however, is an example in which the skeptics have applied the meaning of a specific English word to a translation, rather than checking the word's meaning in its original language. The Hebrew word for "fish" is dag, and in fact, it refers to any creature that lives in the sea. Therefore, though the whale does not technically fit the meaning of the English word, "fish," it certainly fits the Hebrew meaning of the term. And, of course, it is the Hebrew criteria that must be used, as the Book of Jonah was written in Hebrew.Most "mistakes" to which people point tend to be of a similar nature. But if we restrict ourselves to dealing with the original text, as well as the historical frame of reference, I believe we will find no errors in the Bible.
(HT: Bible Prophecy Today)
Saturday, March 6, 2010
The Non-Believers Favorite Bible Verse
By Greg LaurieHarvest Ministries
There was a time when the most well-known Bible passages among all people was either John 3:16 or Psalm 23.
Now, the non-believer's favorite verse is Matthew 7:1. Now, they may not know that reference is in the gospel of Matthew; they just happen to like what it says – or, at least, what they think it says.
"Judge not, lest you be judged."
This is usually said about the time you say something they consider "judgmental." And what constitutes a "judgmental" statement? It's basically anything about which you have an absolute opinion, and they happen to disagree with it. It's a situation where you would dare to say something as controversial and unkind as, "No, that's wrong!"
The response is usually pretty heated. "Who are YOU to judge ME? Doesn't the Bible say 'Judge not lest you be judged'?"
By the way, that verse isn't saying we shouldn't judge; it is saying we shouldn't condemn. And no true believer in Jesus should do that. The fact is, I think Christians are the most loving, the most open and the most accepting of others. You can usually find the most narrow-minded people among the ranks of those who claim to be broad-minded. It's true, isn't it? Personally, I have found that those who often claim to be the most accepting are in reality the most unaccepting.
A true Christian bases his or her ideas and opinions on a biblical worldview. Non-believers will also have their opinions, based on a secular worldview. Ironically, they will say that they have no worldview, but they really do. They will say they are open to everything, but in reality they are quite closed.
It boils down to this: Everyone has a right to their opinion today EXCEPT the one holding a biblical worldview. Those with a secular viewpoint would rather we just went away quietly, and didn't express our opinion at all.
Here's an example: A typical statement of a person with a non-biblical worldview might be, "All religions essentially teach the same thing."
Actually, they don't. A person making such a statement simply reveals his or her own ignorance of the matter. This is illustrated in the recent mea culpa of Tiger Woods. He acknowledged his responsibly for his infidelities and said he had actively practiced his faith from childhood, "but obviously had lost track of what I was taught."
That faith is Buddhism.
The problem with Buddhism is they do not believe in a personal God who is capable of loving you or forgiving you for your sins.
I can hear someone respond: "That's insensitive and unkind to say that! Who are you to judge and say something mean about Buddhists?"
But that statement isn't mean at all. It's what Buddhists themselves say about their own faith. A Buddhist in New York City said, "Many Buddhists do not believe in a personal God, and there is no one to forgive you." A director of a Buddhist meditation center in that same city stated: "If redemption is defined as being forgiven by a god that is outside of ourselves, Buddhists don't believe in a god that's outside of ourselves."
That is a huge difference from Christianity. Christianity teaches there is a indeed a personal God who can and will forgive because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Stephen Prothero, a Boston University professor on Buddhism, told the press: "You have a law of Karma, so no matter what Woods says or does, he is going to have to pay for whatever wrongs he's done. There's no Accountant in the sky wiping sins off your balance sheet, like there is in Christianity."
Accountant in the sky? Hardly an accurate description of the God of the Bible. The fact is, our sins were paid for by the voluntary death of Jesus on the cross for us. If we will turn from our sins and ask God for forgiveness the fact is He will indeed forgive us.
When Fox News commentator Brit Hume dared to suggest Tiger turn to Christ, there was outrage across the board. In a panel discussion, Hume said of Tiger: "He is said to be a Buddhist. I don't think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith. So my message to Tiger would be, 'Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world.'"
That's called a Christian worldview.
In response, one commentator huffed, "The fact that a journalist – and I use that term loosely as it pertains to Hume – would go on a national news show and put down another high-profile individual's faith should tell all of us that religious bigotry, and bigotry as a whole, is a growing problem in this country."
But why is it "bigotry" to express an opinion about your faith? That's what Christians are all about – we try to convince people to believe in Jesus. Why do we do that? Because Jesus Christ has forgiven and changed us, and we want to help others.
In the process, of course, we welcome people of other faiths to express theirs as well. We don't kill them or try to silence them. We listen to them, and try to bring them to Jesus.
It's all about your worldview: a biblical worldview simply means that you are learning how to think and live in accordance with the teachings of the Bible.
When it comes to discussing some of the more "hot button" issues of our time, then, it is important that we learn to respond in a biblical way, rather than responding in an emotional or coldly logical way.
Sometimes you will hear people get angry and say, "Well, my God would never say that or do that," and so on.
But there is only one God, and that is the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is the very same God who loved us so much He sent His Son Jesus to die for our sin.
"Well, my Bible says …"
Actually, your Bible says the same thing mine says. There is only one true Word of God, and that is the Bible. The debate must start and end there. Otherwise, we will go astray in our thinking, and we will not have a biblical worldview.
In his book "Think Biblically," Dr. John MacArthur writes that a biblical worldview is based on two major suppositions: "The first will be the eternal existence of the personal, transcendent, triune, Creator God. Second, the God of Scripture has revealed His character, purposes, and will in the infallible and inerrant pages of His special revelation, the Bible, which is superior to any other source of revelation or human reason alone."
To put that in a simpler way: There is a living God, and He has revealed Himself in Scripture. As Christians, therefore, we believe we have absolute truth from God, and we develop our worldview from what the Bible teaches. Period.
We do not seek to conform and accommodate the unchanging truths of Scripture to our changing culture, but rather seek to change our culture to conform to what the Bible teaches. That happens when people come into a life-changing encounter with God through Jesus Christ.
He will forgive you if you ask Him to.
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