I know people want my opinion about Jack Chick and his company of religious "tracts."
Here is my opinion.
Jack Chick and his employees ought to get tattoos, each of which says "Mark 9:38-41."
And then they all ought to take a life long vow of silence against criticizing ANY faith of the children of Abraham: Jews, Muslims, Christians (especially Catholics.)
I've avoided saying anything about them because unlike them I actually understand the scriptures, so I just ignore them. However, they have done damage, continual damage, eroding people's faith, and this is why they sure could use a daily dose of looking at their tats "Mark 9:38-41."
Here is the scripture, by the way. And Mr. Chick, I won't even "charge you a cookie" for an English language translation of this passage (I don't know if perhaps you have an alien version of the Bible that YOU use, huh?)
Mark 9:38-41
John said to Him, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him because he wasn't following us."
"Don't stop him," said Jesus, "because there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name who can soon afterwards speak evil of Me. For whoever is not against us is for us. And whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of My name, since you belong to the Messiah-I assure you: He will never lose his reward."
Well gosh, if Jesus says anyone who gives a cup of water in His Name will NEVER lose his reward, I guess it's sure all right with Jesus to give a "magic cookie" (reverent people refer to it as the Communion wafer, unlike Chick & company) or consecrated wine in his name too.
Are not enough people misguided and suffering in this world? Jack Chick and company, please shut up with your total FAIL trash talk of Catholics, Muslims and whoever else you take a dump on because of your lack of faith and understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Message over!
Showing posts with label error in faith and practices. Show all posts
Showing posts with label error in faith and practices. Show all posts
Friday, March 5, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
"the greatest Christian who ever lived?!"
This is in one of the Rev. Billy Graham's daily question columns: "The Apostle Paul was the greatest Christian who ever lived."
Goodness, people who know me know that I love and admire Billy Graham, and I often agree with him. But now to 1) set the record straight and 2) show that I do not hesitate to critique even those I often agree with, here goes.
That is a flat out wrong statement and incredibly misleading. Its potential to be misleading is why I am going to make this a small case study in faith.
First of all, if you ask anyone why they admire Paul (say nothing of actually designating him the greatest Christian) they would start to list the many works of Paul.
Oh dear. Hmm. Yep, you got it. They fall into the trap of putting works before grace.
Paul himself would rip his hair out if he caught anyone calling him the greatest Christian based on his many works. After all, writing the Epistles is works, not grace. Evangelizing is works, not grace. Even miracles are works, not grace. Standing up to others in debate is works, not grace.
Paul received grace when he, as the Christian persecutor Saul, was thrown from his horse by the resurrected Jesus Christ. Everything after that was works. Yes, of course, these were works inspired by the Holy Spirit and under the guidance of Jesus Christ, but you can say that about the Twelve Apostles, the disciples, the martyrs and many, many, MANY unnamed and unknown early Christians.
So it is impossible to state who is the "greatest Christian," period. In fact, Jesus Christ rebuked the Apostles when they argued among themselves who was the greatest. Why would someone as wise as Rev. Graham then apply the label that Jesus did not permit his own Apostles to claim?
Rev Graham, like just about every other Christian (and many non-Christians) today is vulnerable to that slippery slope of admiring works, works, works, even as they preach grace, grace, grace. I have yet to have a conversation with any grace admiring Christian whose thoughts, deeds and preachings actually match their professed admiration of grace! It is nearly impossible to find anyone who is able to have a conversation about God, sanctity and the Holy Spirit without them focusing one hundred percent on works, works, works.
That is why Jesus Christ nipped all that sort of thought and talk right in the bud when the Twelve Apostles debated who was the greatest even among themselves, say nothing of being the greatest Christian of all time!!!
There is no such thing as "the greatest Christian of all time." If there was such a person, you would have to have an amount of GRACE measuring device, not an amount of WORKS measuring device. Who can measure how much grace exists in a person? Only God and the angels (the angels being able to observe grace in humans through God's eyes).
If someone were to search in the Bible (as they should, as the scriptures should be the first reference point, no?) to see if there is a "grace measuring device," what would they find? Read along with me:
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And when the angel had come to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women."
...
And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God."
Luke 1:27-28, 30
Mary is the only person in the scripture to receive word from God directly that she is full of grace. No matter how much you might leaf through the Bible citing folks who were "blessed" and who received blessings (such as health, children, prosperity) from God, Mary is the only one who is documented to have been "full of grace" (grace being the unmerited by WORKS gift from God) in the Bible.
Thus if someone is going to have a "let's declare the greatest Christian who every lived" contest, where a Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ, the Bible states that Mary is the only one who is 1) full of grace and 2) was in such a state before her "works," which was to bear the infant Jesus.
You can see why Jesus nipped discussion of being "the greatest" right in the bud with Apostles. Will not all of you do the same, to avoid the misleading temptation of excessive honoring of so-called works? Paul would be the first to rip his hair out by the roots if he were alive to hear such discussions.
Now, just to complete this discussion, let's exercise our logic and faith using an analogy. Well, it is not so much an analogy but to help you to use Mary, therefore, as a kind of litmus test if one were determined to know "the greatest Christian" based on grace.
If you did not have an angel, Gabriel, sent by God to know that Mary was "full of grace," how would you go about finding someone in modern times (let's say the last thousand years) who has "a lot of grace?" How in the world could you identify and measure it? A person who is a theologian? Oh oh, that's works. A person who does a lot of 'good deeds?" Oh oh, that's works. Someone who plants many churches? Oh oh, that's works. Someone who is an inspiring preacher, puts out DVD's and has a great "following?" Oh oh, that's works. Someone who seems wise and filled with knowledge of God? Oh oh, that's works.
There have been many who would be considered in the "top thousands" list of "greatest Christians," but you will never know their names because they were unrecognized as such in their times. They are the grandmothers and grandfathers who raised children of true faith and who were of humble origins, and probably never conducted a particular good deed, so to speak, in their life. Think of the many unknown anonymous people who clung onto in secret their Christian faith when under dictators, for example, doing nothing other than making sure they prayed, kept their Bibles, and raised their children as genuine Christians. They wear the invisible crowns from God of being filled with grace, not works, and being not-rich, not-famous, not-schooled and not-historic figures, they went to the Lord known only to Him.
So that is the first thing to keep in mind, that the more one is clothed in works, the less one is able to actually see their invisible robes of grace. Paul is actually so laden with works (righteous works, don't get me wrong) that it is impossible for modern people to appreciate what grace he had indeed. People are dazzled by works so much that they do not see the quiet invisible soft folds of grace underneath. They assume that great grace abounds, but that actually is not true, if you check the scriptures. Scriptures teach how to recognize grace only via the gifts and the fruits of the Holy Spirit, not through church plantings, arguing with others about the faith, documenting "how the early church worked," or even via miracles and other God given deeds (yep, remember deeds means works).
Thus the second thing to think about when one ponders who is a "great Christian" (forget about the "greatest" or whatever) is to observe the following in people as they GENUINELY ARE, and not via their visible works and "deeds."
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit:
Fear of the Lord
Piety
etc. (look them up under my previous postings)
The Fruits of the Holy Spirit:
Continence
etc. (look them up under my previous postings)
You will see that these are genuine qualities of character, not deeds. You see, when grace from God (and God alone) infuses a person, that person exhibits these qualities, listed above, not increasing "deeds" or "works," regardless how worthy they are.
The most obvious example might be someone who is a generous person but with average or lukewarm faith in God. He receives grace from God and instead of "increasing his charitable works and good deeds," dedicates more and more of his day to his prayer life, if that is his calling from God. Using that logic you can understand how an average or lukewarm charity giver might receive grace from God and actually renounce the secular life and become a priest or a deacon. Grace is not the petrol for making a car go to more and more numerous and varied worthy destinations! Grace is living within gratitude and glorification of the one and only God who gave you "the car." That is the vast difference between deeds/works (however worthy) and grace.
No one can be a "great Christian" without having an inflow of grace that is beyond any merit or receipt due to works. The word "great" has to be reserved for those who really are "great" and not, like the vast majority, "acceptable" or "good enough." Do not kid yourselves, most Christians who achieve heaven do so because they received at least a "C" on their report card; very few have even B's or, much as you may think so, A's. Most Christians who make it to heaven are "good enough," and by no means "great," especially in these modern times where people are so goal and agenda driven, even in their faith, thinking they can "list" their ways into heaven. Even those who know better and who truly love the Lord must always guard against 1) the temptation of works and 2) the worse temptation that they can evaluate and assess someone else's acceptability to God, even someone who seems slam dunk obvious like St. Paul.
This is why I am making such a big thing of this one observation, because I have repeatedly seen that it is at the core and heart of many of the diversions among Christians of one hundred percent fidelity to God. Works, works, works and the "I'm OK, you're OK" mindset is the ruin of many good Christians and blinds them to potential receipt of grace.
I hope you have found this helpful.
Goodness, people who know me know that I love and admire Billy Graham, and I often agree with him. But now to 1) set the record straight and 2) show that I do not hesitate to critique even those I often agree with, here goes.
That is a flat out wrong statement and incredibly misleading. Its potential to be misleading is why I am going to make this a small case study in faith.
First of all, if you ask anyone why they admire Paul (say nothing of actually designating him the greatest Christian) they would start to list the many works of Paul.
Oh dear. Hmm. Yep, you got it. They fall into the trap of putting works before grace.
Paul himself would rip his hair out if he caught anyone calling him the greatest Christian based on his many works. After all, writing the Epistles is works, not grace. Evangelizing is works, not grace. Even miracles are works, not grace. Standing up to others in debate is works, not grace.
Paul received grace when he, as the Christian persecutor Saul, was thrown from his horse by the resurrected Jesus Christ. Everything after that was works. Yes, of course, these were works inspired by the Holy Spirit and under the guidance of Jesus Christ, but you can say that about the Twelve Apostles, the disciples, the martyrs and many, many, MANY unnamed and unknown early Christians.
So it is impossible to state who is the "greatest Christian," period. In fact, Jesus Christ rebuked the Apostles when they argued among themselves who was the greatest. Why would someone as wise as Rev. Graham then apply the label that Jesus did not permit his own Apostles to claim?
Rev Graham, like just about every other Christian (and many non-Christians) today is vulnerable to that slippery slope of admiring works, works, works, even as they preach grace, grace, grace. I have yet to have a conversation with any grace admiring Christian whose thoughts, deeds and preachings actually match their professed admiration of grace! It is nearly impossible to find anyone who is able to have a conversation about God, sanctity and the Holy Spirit without them focusing one hundred percent on works, works, works.
That is why Jesus Christ nipped all that sort of thought and talk right in the bud when the Twelve Apostles debated who was the greatest even among themselves, say nothing of being the greatest Christian of all time!!!
There is no such thing as "the greatest Christian of all time." If there was such a person, you would have to have an amount of GRACE measuring device, not an amount of WORKS measuring device. Who can measure how much grace exists in a person? Only God and the angels (the angels being able to observe grace in humans through God's eyes).
If someone were to search in the Bible (as they should, as the scriptures should be the first reference point, no?) to see if there is a "grace measuring device," what would they find? Read along with me:
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And when the angel had come to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women."
...
And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God."
Luke 1:27-28, 30
Mary is the only person in the scripture to receive word from God directly that she is full of grace. No matter how much you might leaf through the Bible citing folks who were "blessed" and who received blessings (such as health, children, prosperity) from God, Mary is the only one who is documented to have been "full of grace" (grace being the unmerited by WORKS gift from God) in the Bible.
Thus if someone is going to have a "let's declare the greatest Christian who every lived" contest, where a Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ, the Bible states that Mary is the only one who is 1) full of grace and 2) was in such a state before her "works," which was to bear the infant Jesus.
You can see why Jesus nipped discussion of being "the greatest" right in the bud with Apostles. Will not all of you do the same, to avoid the misleading temptation of excessive honoring of so-called works? Paul would be the first to rip his hair out by the roots if he were alive to hear such discussions.
Now, just to complete this discussion, let's exercise our logic and faith using an analogy. Well, it is not so much an analogy but to help you to use Mary, therefore, as a kind of litmus test if one were determined to know "the greatest Christian" based on grace.
If you did not have an angel, Gabriel, sent by God to know that Mary was "full of grace," how would you go about finding someone in modern times (let's say the last thousand years) who has "a lot of grace?" How in the world could you identify and measure it? A person who is a theologian? Oh oh, that's works. A person who does a lot of 'good deeds?" Oh oh, that's works. Someone who plants many churches? Oh oh, that's works. Someone who is an inspiring preacher, puts out DVD's and has a great "following?" Oh oh, that's works. Someone who seems wise and filled with knowledge of God? Oh oh, that's works.
There have been many who would be considered in the "top thousands" list of "greatest Christians," but you will never know their names because they were unrecognized as such in their times. They are the grandmothers and grandfathers who raised children of true faith and who were of humble origins, and probably never conducted a particular good deed, so to speak, in their life. Think of the many unknown anonymous people who clung onto in secret their Christian faith when under dictators, for example, doing nothing other than making sure they prayed, kept their Bibles, and raised their children as genuine Christians. They wear the invisible crowns from God of being filled with grace, not works, and being not-rich, not-famous, not-schooled and not-historic figures, they went to the Lord known only to Him.
So that is the first thing to keep in mind, that the more one is clothed in works, the less one is able to actually see their invisible robes of grace. Paul is actually so laden with works (righteous works, don't get me wrong) that it is impossible for modern people to appreciate what grace he had indeed. People are dazzled by works so much that they do not see the quiet invisible soft folds of grace underneath. They assume that great grace abounds, but that actually is not true, if you check the scriptures. Scriptures teach how to recognize grace only via the gifts and the fruits of the Holy Spirit, not through church plantings, arguing with others about the faith, documenting "how the early church worked," or even via miracles and other God given deeds (yep, remember deeds means works).
Thus the second thing to think about when one ponders who is a "great Christian" (forget about the "greatest" or whatever) is to observe the following in people as they GENUINELY ARE, and not via their visible works and "deeds."
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit:
Fear of the Lord
Piety
etc. (look them up under my previous postings)
The Fruits of the Holy Spirit:
Continence
etc. (look them up under my previous postings)
You will see that these are genuine qualities of character, not deeds. You see, when grace from God (and God alone) infuses a person, that person exhibits these qualities, listed above, not increasing "deeds" or "works," regardless how worthy they are.
The most obvious example might be someone who is a generous person but with average or lukewarm faith in God. He receives grace from God and instead of "increasing his charitable works and good deeds," dedicates more and more of his day to his prayer life, if that is his calling from God. Using that logic you can understand how an average or lukewarm charity giver might receive grace from God and actually renounce the secular life and become a priest or a deacon. Grace is not the petrol for making a car go to more and more numerous and varied worthy destinations! Grace is living within gratitude and glorification of the one and only God who gave you "the car." That is the vast difference between deeds/works (however worthy) and grace.
No one can be a "great Christian" without having an inflow of grace that is beyond any merit or receipt due to works. The word "great" has to be reserved for those who really are "great" and not, like the vast majority, "acceptable" or "good enough." Do not kid yourselves, most Christians who achieve heaven do so because they received at least a "C" on their report card; very few have even B's or, much as you may think so, A's. Most Christians who make it to heaven are "good enough," and by no means "great," especially in these modern times where people are so goal and agenda driven, even in their faith, thinking they can "list" their ways into heaven. Even those who know better and who truly love the Lord must always guard against 1) the temptation of works and 2) the worse temptation that they can evaluate and assess someone else's acceptability to God, even someone who seems slam dunk obvious like St. Paul.
This is why I am making such a big thing of this one observation, because I have repeatedly seen that it is at the core and heart of many of the diversions among Christians of one hundred percent fidelity to God. Works, works, works and the "I'm OK, you're OK" mindset is the ruin of many good Christians and blinds them to potential receipt of grace.
I hope you have found this helpful.
Friday, August 14, 2009
A question to make you uneasy
Here is a question for you to think about. It is directed to Christians, but I will ask supply a "Muslim version" of the question too, afterwards.
Question: What would you say to someone who believed and had wholehearted faith in Jesus Christ, but who ignored God and was often disobedient to God? What if that person was you?
Question: What would you say to someone who believed and had wholehearted faith in the Prophet (PBUH), but who ignored God and was often disobedient to God? What if that person was you?
Just to be fair, here is the Jewish version of the question.
Question: What would you say to someone who believed and had wholehearted faith in Moses, but who ignored God and was often disobedient to God? What if that person was you?
This reflection is mostly targeted at Christians. I provided the equivalent question to Muslims and Jews so that they can follow along with the logic-and the peril of error-that I am pointing out among many who declare their faith (and have genuine belief and trust) in Jesus, but who feel that having done that, God himself can be ignored or selectively obeyed. What would you say to such a person, and what if that person is you?
Luke 18:28-29
And Peter said, "Behold, we have left all and followed thee." And he said to them, "Amen I say to you, there is no one who has left house, or parents, or brothers, or wife, or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive much more in the present time, and in the age to come life everlasting."
Notice that Peter affirms to Jesus that the Apostles have left all to follow him. Look carefully at what Jesus replied. Jesus affirms that as a result, anyone who has done so will receive more "in the present time" (now, while alive) and "life everlasting." In other words, Jesus affirms that people who follow him will have better lives, in addition to salvation. But here is my greater point. Did Jesus say that this is for his personal sake? No. Jesus said, "No one who has left house....for the sake of the kingdom of God." Jesus always, always, always points the attention of his followers to God, not himself.
With this in mind, look at this example of the important wording and distinction a few verses later.
Luke 18:42-43
And Jesus said to him, "Receive thy sight, thy faith has saved thee." And at once he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people upon seeing it gave praise to God.
You read this role modeling of how both Jesus and the recipients and witnesses of his miracles repeatedly. First, Jesus gives all glory to God (and applauds the person's faith) when he performs a miracle. Second, the recipient of the miracle realizes that the source is God himself through Jesus, and accordingly glorifies God while witnessing to Jesus. Read that again. The petitioner praises Jesus and witnesses to him, but glorifies God. Likewise do the people who witness the God given miracles of Jesus.
Luke 20:25
And he said to them, "Render, therefore, to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
Jesus did not say that because he, Jesus, is now present that all that is due to God is no longer required. There is a vast difference between updating, for lack of a better word, the Law, to reflect the Messiah's arrival and bringing of the New Covenant to replace the Old Covenant, but that does not mean that God is no longer due to him the things that are all along, and will be forever, due to him, since he is the source of all that humans have.
Luke 21:15
"For I myself will give you utterance and wisdom, which all your adversaries will not be able to resist or gainsay."
What does Jesus tell the Apostles and disciples that he will give to them? "Utterance" and "wisdom." What kind of utterance and wisdom can withstand any enemy? There is only one answer, for there is nothing but one thing that can withstand any and all adversary of any type or sort, and that is knowledge of the truth about the one God.
It is thus entirely possible, and even alarmingly frequent, that people "stop," so to speak, at believing in Jesus, trusting in Jesus and having faith in Jesus, but do not accept that gift of Jesus as he offers it (not as some might wish or imagine that he offers it), which is knowledge that he, and the entire scriptures, have given about the truth, and what is due, to the one God.
John the Baptist explained:
John 3:34-6
For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for not by measure does God give the Spirit. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hands. He who believe in the Son has everlasting life; he who is unbelieving towards the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him.
Ah ha! such people say. See? All we need to do for everlasting life is to believe in the Son, Jesus Christ. But wait a minute, because it's abundantly clear what John is saying as he is careful to explain to both sides (he is explaining when disciples of his were arguing with some Jews) the proper order and working of things. Yes, belief in Jesus yields everlasting life, and deniers of Jesus will receive the wrath of God. But John puts the relationship and "mechanics" in its proper context. Jesus "speaks the words of God." They are God's words, and Jesus speaks them with authority given to him by God, as is appropriate to the Son who represents the Father. So the "duh" moment for many moderns is that incredibly they have the notion that like God has popped out of heaven, into Jesus, rather than understanding that God is always everywhere, in totality, in control, with perfect constancy over all things and all times. Jesus is speaking the words of God, and is thus showing the face of God to humans, but God is still God and is where he always is, and is due all that he has always been and always will be due. John makes this very clear, most particularly to the Jews who are, understandably, confused and thus antagonistic.
What does John mean by "for not by measure does God give the Spirit." Again, understanding of this important statement has diminished with modern societies and scripture readers. Your agricultural great grandfathers well understood this statement. John is saying that God does not dispense the Holy Spirit through usage of a measuring cup or a liter container. In other words, God has not given Jesus a cupful of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is speaking the words of God, not some words of God, since Jesus is filled with the Holy Spirit from God, not dispensed an allocated amount of the Holy Spirit.
I marvel (in a bad way) how people miss the brilliance of John the Baptist, as he explains what is nearly impossible to understand, patiently (even under fire), and in a way that makes the relationship among God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit crystal clear. You can see also the structure of classic teaching and logic as John patiently and simply lays out the "physics" of how the Trinity works.
1. He whom God sent speaks the words of God.
You can deduce that God is still where God always is and always will be, but he has sent someone who is speaking his actual words.
2. God does not allocate fixed amounts or doses of Spirit to the Son.
You can deduce that the Holy Spirit cannot be understood as something that God gives or that humans can gain in a step by step, piecemeal dosage AND further, you can deduce that the Son does not receive a partial amount of the Holy Spirit, but is filled with the Holy Spirit.
Then John makes the third important point.
3. Why does this happen? Because God the Father loves the Son.
There are two things that you can deduce. One is that the purpose of what God does is love. The second is that there is a perfect Father-Son relationship between God and Jesus; God and Jesus are not "interchangeable."
4. Therefore, because of 1, 2 and 3, God "has given all things" into the Son's hands.
Jesus therefore is wielding the full authority of God in all that he says and does. [Again, that does not mean, of course, that the only things that God is "doing" are the things Jesus was doing. God is always God and busy, for lack of a better word, being God, even as he gives full authority over whatever Jesus is doing to Jesus.] Think of it this way: God gives to Jesus full authority to be Jesus, and to speak the words of God. Jesus is not "being God" in his totality while he is alive in his ministry. For example, it's not like Jesus, while walking the Holy Lands, was also listening to the prayers of all the people around the world. God is still, and is always, the one and only who is doing that. A person who believes in the one true God, and even those who prayed to the reflection and image of God in their culture, but who has not yet received knowledge of the true God, is not timesharing praying to Jesus! Obviously all that is due to God (such as prayer) to going to God, even as Jesus walked the earth. It's not like Jesus had a buzz in the back of his mind that some person in China was praying to God and it was being routed to Jesus! But surprisingly, many moderns, who just cannot understand the eternity and all presence of God, think of God as some "energy" that popped into and thus became Jesus. Yikes, I hate even typing this, but it must be said.
5. Because 1, 2, 3 yield 4, therefore God affirms that all who believe God's word (in this case spoken by Jesus) and his love (the authority of the Son and the utmost importance that God be understood as the source of all love, including earthly love) by believing "in the Son has everlasting life."
6. If 4 is denied and ignored, those disbelievers will not receive 5, and thus will "not see life" and have "the wrath of God" resting upon him (or her).
This is one reason that Jesus referred to John the Baptist as the greatest of men. Jesus knew that John understood and, of course, witnessed to, during the Baptism of Jesus, how the Trinity works, and the oneness of God the Father. It all comes back to and is due to God. God loves Jesus, and gives Jesus his words and authority, and God gives the Holy Spirit. God is the ope rant word and entity, as God is dispensing to humanity both Jesus and the Holy Spirit. To put it another way, it's not like the Holy Spirit can send God or Jesus on missions, nor can Jesus send God. Once Jesus died, resurrected and ascended into heaven, at the right hand of God the Father, then Jesus sends the Holy Spirit (Pentecost), in the fullness of God's presence. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit but not until he was ascended into heaven and has taken his place by God, who was always there.
I could keep citing scripture (loads of it about this topic) but I think you see the problem.
Many people think that if they believe in the existence of Jesus, trust that he will bail them out of anything, and even love and have faith in Jesus, that this is "enough" and they can ignore or at best be selective about rendering to God what is his due, what is God's. Incredibly they cite this scripture without understanding the laborious and patient context that John the Baptist offers it in the lines immediately before!
What does this mean to you? It's not theology or abstract thoughts: this is essential day to day giving the due to heeding and obeying the Lord God.
It is this type of misunderstanding that results in people committing incredible sins, sins that God has forbidden, yet because they genuinely belief in Jesus Christ, they think it's alright to sin! Another variation is that they think that the sins are no longer sins, because belief in Jesus Christ trumps all bad behavior. Further, they think that Jesus and God are interchangeable. To put it cynically, they think if they make Jesus happy because they believe in him, then God and all his needs are "covered" too. Nothing that Jesus ever said or did should give that impression. The Christians who accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior when they were alive continued to praise and glorify God. The obvious example is as I cited, that as Jesus performed miracles people followed, praising God and witnessing to Jesus.
Here's a little bit of a silly way to demonstrate what I am saying. Imagine you are a disciple of Jesus during Biblical times when Jesus was in his public ministry. When you are away from Jesus, do you figure that God no longer exists, and your every action, both secular and faith, is guided by specific orders given by Jesus before the two of you parted? Imagine if Jesus had to be sure to tell each disciple, "Now, while we are apart, don't lie, don't steal, be kind to your family, wash your hands and feet, don't forget to give to the poor..." etc. Jesus would have to "program" each disciple "what to do" while they were apart because after all, if one believes in Jesus one no longer has to be obedient to what God has been saying all along, nor no longer give God his due attention, whether in prayer or in obedience! Wouldn't that be absurd, demented, in error, and extremely scary? Welcome to modern times.
I hope, and pray, that you have found this helpful and thought provoking for some self examination and also, well, think about those whose opinions you previously valued and wonder if God is truly pleased with their "belief" in Jesus, if it is a belief that is not at all reflective of the totality of what Jesus and the Apostles, John the Baptist, and God himself through the Holy Spirit teaches and requires.
Question: What would you say to someone who believed and had wholehearted faith in Jesus Christ, but who ignored God and was often disobedient to God? What if that person was you?
Question: What would you say to someone who believed and had wholehearted faith in the Prophet (PBUH), but who ignored God and was often disobedient to God? What if that person was you?
Just to be fair, here is the Jewish version of the question.
Question: What would you say to someone who believed and had wholehearted faith in Moses, but who ignored God and was often disobedient to God? What if that person was you?
This reflection is mostly targeted at Christians. I provided the equivalent question to Muslims and Jews so that they can follow along with the logic-and the peril of error-that I am pointing out among many who declare their faith (and have genuine belief and trust) in Jesus, but who feel that having done that, God himself can be ignored or selectively obeyed. What would you say to such a person, and what if that person is you?
Luke 18:28-29
And Peter said, "Behold, we have left all and followed thee." And he said to them, "Amen I say to you, there is no one who has left house, or parents, or brothers, or wife, or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive much more in the present time, and in the age to come life everlasting."
Notice that Peter affirms to Jesus that the Apostles have left all to follow him. Look carefully at what Jesus replied. Jesus affirms that as a result, anyone who has done so will receive more "in the present time" (now, while alive) and "life everlasting." In other words, Jesus affirms that people who follow him will have better lives, in addition to salvation. But here is my greater point. Did Jesus say that this is for his personal sake? No. Jesus said, "No one who has left house....for the sake of the kingdom of God." Jesus always, always, always points the attention of his followers to God, not himself.
With this in mind, look at this example of the important wording and distinction a few verses later.
Luke 18:42-43
And Jesus said to him, "Receive thy sight, thy faith has saved thee." And at once he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people upon seeing it gave praise to God.
You read this role modeling of how both Jesus and the recipients and witnesses of his miracles repeatedly. First, Jesus gives all glory to God (and applauds the person's faith) when he performs a miracle. Second, the recipient of the miracle realizes that the source is God himself through Jesus, and accordingly glorifies God while witnessing to Jesus. Read that again. The petitioner praises Jesus and witnesses to him, but glorifies God. Likewise do the people who witness the God given miracles of Jesus.
Luke 20:25
And he said to them, "Render, therefore, to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
Jesus did not say that because he, Jesus, is now present that all that is due to God is no longer required. There is a vast difference between updating, for lack of a better word, the Law, to reflect the Messiah's arrival and bringing of the New Covenant to replace the Old Covenant, but that does not mean that God is no longer due to him the things that are all along, and will be forever, due to him, since he is the source of all that humans have.
Luke 21:15
"For I myself will give you utterance and wisdom, which all your adversaries will not be able to resist or gainsay."
What does Jesus tell the Apostles and disciples that he will give to them? "Utterance" and "wisdom." What kind of utterance and wisdom can withstand any enemy? There is only one answer, for there is nothing but one thing that can withstand any and all adversary of any type or sort, and that is knowledge of the truth about the one God.
It is thus entirely possible, and even alarmingly frequent, that people "stop," so to speak, at believing in Jesus, trusting in Jesus and having faith in Jesus, but do not accept that gift of Jesus as he offers it (not as some might wish or imagine that he offers it), which is knowledge that he, and the entire scriptures, have given about the truth, and what is due, to the one God.
John the Baptist explained:
John 3:34-6
For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for not by measure does God give the Spirit. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hands. He who believe in the Son has everlasting life; he who is unbelieving towards the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him.
Ah ha! such people say. See? All we need to do for everlasting life is to believe in the Son, Jesus Christ. But wait a minute, because it's abundantly clear what John is saying as he is careful to explain to both sides (he is explaining when disciples of his were arguing with some Jews) the proper order and working of things. Yes, belief in Jesus yields everlasting life, and deniers of Jesus will receive the wrath of God. But John puts the relationship and "mechanics" in its proper context. Jesus "speaks the words of God." They are God's words, and Jesus speaks them with authority given to him by God, as is appropriate to the Son who represents the Father. So the "duh" moment for many moderns is that incredibly they have the notion that like God has popped out of heaven, into Jesus, rather than understanding that God is always everywhere, in totality, in control, with perfect constancy over all things and all times. Jesus is speaking the words of God, and is thus showing the face of God to humans, but God is still God and is where he always is, and is due all that he has always been and always will be due. John makes this very clear, most particularly to the Jews who are, understandably, confused and thus antagonistic.
What does John mean by "for not by measure does God give the Spirit." Again, understanding of this important statement has diminished with modern societies and scripture readers. Your agricultural great grandfathers well understood this statement. John is saying that God does not dispense the Holy Spirit through usage of a measuring cup or a liter container. In other words, God has not given Jesus a cupful of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is speaking the words of God, not some words of God, since Jesus is filled with the Holy Spirit from God, not dispensed an allocated amount of the Holy Spirit.
I marvel (in a bad way) how people miss the brilliance of John the Baptist, as he explains what is nearly impossible to understand, patiently (even under fire), and in a way that makes the relationship among God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit crystal clear. You can see also the structure of classic teaching and logic as John patiently and simply lays out the "physics" of how the Trinity works.
1. He whom God sent speaks the words of God.
You can deduce that God is still where God always is and always will be, but he has sent someone who is speaking his actual words.
2. God does not allocate fixed amounts or doses of Spirit to the Son.
You can deduce that the Holy Spirit cannot be understood as something that God gives or that humans can gain in a step by step, piecemeal dosage AND further, you can deduce that the Son does not receive a partial amount of the Holy Spirit, but is filled with the Holy Spirit.
Then John makes the third important point.
3. Why does this happen? Because God the Father loves the Son.
There are two things that you can deduce. One is that the purpose of what God does is love. The second is that there is a perfect Father-Son relationship between God and Jesus; God and Jesus are not "interchangeable."
4. Therefore, because of 1, 2 and 3, God "has given all things" into the Son's hands.
Jesus therefore is wielding the full authority of God in all that he says and does. [Again, that does not mean, of course, that the only things that God is "doing" are the things Jesus was doing. God is always God and busy, for lack of a better word, being God, even as he gives full authority over whatever Jesus is doing to Jesus.] Think of it this way: God gives to Jesus full authority to be Jesus, and to speak the words of God. Jesus is not "being God" in his totality while he is alive in his ministry. For example, it's not like Jesus, while walking the Holy Lands, was also listening to the prayers of all the people around the world. God is still, and is always, the one and only who is doing that. A person who believes in the one true God, and even those who prayed to the reflection and image of God in their culture, but who has not yet received knowledge of the true God, is not timesharing praying to Jesus! Obviously all that is due to God (such as prayer) to going to God, even as Jesus walked the earth. It's not like Jesus had a buzz in the back of his mind that some person in China was praying to God and it was being routed to Jesus! But surprisingly, many moderns, who just cannot understand the eternity and all presence of God, think of God as some "energy" that popped into and thus became Jesus. Yikes, I hate even typing this, but it must be said.
5. Because 1, 2, 3 yield 4, therefore God affirms that all who believe God's word (in this case spoken by Jesus) and his love (the authority of the Son and the utmost importance that God be understood as the source of all love, including earthly love) by believing "in the Son has everlasting life."
6. If 4 is denied and ignored, those disbelievers will not receive 5, and thus will "not see life" and have "the wrath of God" resting upon him (or her).
This is one reason that Jesus referred to John the Baptist as the greatest of men. Jesus knew that John understood and, of course, witnessed to, during the Baptism of Jesus, how the Trinity works, and the oneness of God the Father. It all comes back to and is due to God. God loves Jesus, and gives Jesus his words and authority, and God gives the Holy Spirit. God is the ope rant word and entity, as God is dispensing to humanity both Jesus and the Holy Spirit. To put it another way, it's not like the Holy Spirit can send God or Jesus on missions, nor can Jesus send God. Once Jesus died, resurrected and ascended into heaven, at the right hand of God the Father, then Jesus sends the Holy Spirit (Pentecost), in the fullness of God's presence. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit but not until he was ascended into heaven and has taken his place by God, who was always there.
I could keep citing scripture (loads of it about this topic) but I think you see the problem.
Many people think that if they believe in the existence of Jesus, trust that he will bail them out of anything, and even love and have faith in Jesus, that this is "enough" and they can ignore or at best be selective about rendering to God what is his due, what is God's. Incredibly they cite this scripture without understanding the laborious and patient context that John the Baptist offers it in the lines immediately before!
What does this mean to you? It's not theology or abstract thoughts: this is essential day to day giving the due to heeding and obeying the Lord God.
It is this type of misunderstanding that results in people committing incredible sins, sins that God has forbidden, yet because they genuinely belief in Jesus Christ, they think it's alright to sin! Another variation is that they think that the sins are no longer sins, because belief in Jesus Christ trumps all bad behavior. Further, they think that Jesus and God are interchangeable. To put it cynically, they think if they make Jesus happy because they believe in him, then God and all his needs are "covered" too. Nothing that Jesus ever said or did should give that impression. The Christians who accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior when they were alive continued to praise and glorify God. The obvious example is as I cited, that as Jesus performed miracles people followed, praising God and witnessing to Jesus.
Here's a little bit of a silly way to demonstrate what I am saying. Imagine you are a disciple of Jesus during Biblical times when Jesus was in his public ministry. When you are away from Jesus, do you figure that God no longer exists, and your every action, both secular and faith, is guided by specific orders given by Jesus before the two of you parted? Imagine if Jesus had to be sure to tell each disciple, "Now, while we are apart, don't lie, don't steal, be kind to your family, wash your hands and feet, don't forget to give to the poor..." etc. Jesus would have to "program" each disciple "what to do" while they were apart because after all, if one believes in Jesus one no longer has to be obedient to what God has been saying all along, nor no longer give God his due attention, whether in prayer or in obedience! Wouldn't that be absurd, demented, in error, and extremely scary? Welcome to modern times.
I hope, and pray, that you have found this helpful and thought provoking for some self examination and also, well, think about those whose opinions you previously valued and wonder if God is truly pleased with their "belief" in Jesus, if it is a belief that is not at all reflective of the totality of what Jesus and the Apostles, John the Baptist, and God himself through the Holy Spirit teaches and requires.
Monday, August 10, 2009
A quick answer about angels
Someone recently asked Rev. Billy Graham, in his daily column, why humans should not also worship angels. He, as always, gave a fine reply. He explained that God alone is all powerful and has always been, while angels are beings created by God, and therefore cannot be worshipped.
For those of you who like definitive scripture, I point you to St. Paul.
1 Colossians 2:18
Let no one cheat you who takes pleasure in self-abasement and worship of the angels, and enters vainly into what he has not seen, puffed up by his mere human mind.
This is included in Paul's list of erroneous practices.
I hope you have found this helpful. Check the Bible: it's all in there.
For those of you who like definitive scripture, I point you to St. Paul.
1 Colossians 2:18
Let no one cheat you who takes pleasure in self-abasement and worship of the angels, and enters vainly into what he has not seen, puffed up by his mere human mind.
This is included in Paul's list of erroneous practices.
I hope you have found this helpful. Check the Bible: it's all in there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
