Unity in Christ

     What does it mean to be "one" with one another? In scripture we often see familiar themes, and over and over again throughout the letters we see the phrase "One in Christ", but what does that look like, what does it accomplish, and how is it achieved? Looking at Philippians 1:27-2:2 among others we will see what is meant by "unity in Christ".

     Philippians 1:27-2:2 in the ESV says: "²⁷ Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸ and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. ²⁹ For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, ³⁰ engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Christ's Example of Humility

2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, ² complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind."

     500 years before Paul wrote this letter there happened a very important event: the Battle of Thermopylae. The Persians were invading Europe from the east in an attempt to conquer the world (common theme in history). Fortunately the Persian army would have to come through a small pass called Thermopylae and the Spartan general and king Leonidas saw this as an opportunity to stop their advance. Unfortunately the Persians would be coming through the pass on an important religious festival for the Spartans, during which no one was allowed to fight. Leonidas ignored the command from the counsel to wait, and because the whole army would not leave he took his personal guard of only 300 men to defend the pass against the Persian army of over 1,000,000 soldiers including the dreaded "immortals" who had never lost a fight. Long story short the heroic Greeks held out for three days against incredible odds, which allowed time for the rest of Sparta to wake up and get prepared for war. How did 300 men stop one million? Well it helped that they were Spartans, but they had also perfected the art of the hoplite phalanx, which basically was a large group of men fighting as one giant spear (ch 1 vs 27b). When opposing soldiers saw the phalanx coming for them, they knew that their destruction was imminent (ch 1 vs 28b).

     Just as the strength of the Spartan phalanx was in its unity, so the Christian church is strongest when each member realizes that he is part of a whole, and does not try to be a lone wolf. Isn't that the deffiniton of friendship? Two people striving side by side for a common purpose? How do you become unified with your brothers and sisters in the Church? Become friends. Find a common goal and strive together toward it (chapter 1 vs 27b). Also read Philippians 4:3. The word used to describe unity in chapter 2 verse 2, "σύμψυχος" [sympsychos], also shows up in 1 Corinthians 1:10 and Hebrews 4:2 (and also Judges 20:11). Both times Paul (and whoever wrote Hebrews) are encouraging unity for the purpose of the advancement of the gospel. 

    So what is does it mean to be united in Christ with your brethren? Practically it means to be striving side by side with them for the advancement of the gospel (Phil 1:27). It means that you sacrifice your own personal desires (Phil 2:4) for the common good willingly because you want to do whatever is necessary to obtain the resurrection of the dead (Phil 3:11) not because it somehow makes you righteous (Phil 3:7-9) but because its what Christ did (1 Cor 11:1). 

Tattoos

     The last decade has seen an extreme and sudden rise in the amount of tattooing going down. A recent survey put the figure at as much as 40% of adults aged 20-35 have at least one tattoo. From this arises the natural question: "Is it wrong to get a tattoo if you are a Christian?" It seems like everyone has a strong opinion on the subject, but who is right? Passages such as Leviticus 19:28, 1 Corinthians 6:19, and Galatians 5:1 can help shed some light on the topic.

     Leviticus 19:28 (ESV) says: "You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord." The answer to our seems like it should be simple then, right? Well while it is true that the Israelites were not allowed to Tattoo themselves they were also not allowed to shave their temples, have a scraggly beard [Leviticus 19:27], eat catfish [Leviticus 11:12] or eat any meat with blood in it [Leviticus 19:26]. I've never heard anyone debate whether or not its right to eat steak, so clearly this Leviticus verse is not conclusive. 

     In 1 Corinthians 6:19 Paul reminds the Corinthians that the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. It is often argued that just as one wouldn't deface a regular temple or church by putting graffiti on it one should not mark up one's body. This logic is faulty however because not only do we write names and Bible verses on our churches but with some hermeneutical research it becomes clear that Paul is talking about sexual immorality and defacing your body with sin (Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. [1 Corinthians 6:18 ESV]). Therefore, to say that 1 Corinthians was intended to keep Christians free from tattoos is more than just a stretch, its misinterpreting the verse and losing valuable meaning of the body being a temple. 

     Finally lets take a look at Galatians 5:1-3. Here Paul points out the obvious, if we try to keep the law because its the "law" them we are subject to the authority of the whole law. We are free in Christ and therefore all things are lawful for us. We see in 1 Corinthians 9:21 that we are clearly no longer under the Old Testament law. Anyone who would say that he keeps the law is a liar and starts to go down the road of Phariseeness. Clearly there are right things and wrong things (Romans 6:10), but these are illustrated in the 10 Commandments, the moral code of God. Therefore the question becomes not "Is it lawful" but instead "Is it a good idea" as seen in 1 Corinthians 6:12 and 1 Corinthians 10:23. As we see in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 if your ministry field is among those who tattoo themselves then it only makes sense to get a God-glorifying tattoo to relate to them, make acceptance of your teaching easier (no strict laws), and show everyone a constant reminder that you belong to Christ. 

     As we have seen it is neither unlawful to get a tattoo, nor is it morally wrong according to the moral code that God has implanted in each of our hearts and written in the Ten Commandments. To say that one must not tattoo one's self is legalism and makes cheep the grace of God. However, while it is never wrong to tattoo oneself, it is not always a good idea because of circumstances or prejudices. Whether or not tattoos should be utilized depends on to whom one is planning on ministering to. Ultimately the decision should be based on heart condition. If one wants a tattoo because they are "cool" then it shows that one's heart is focused inward instead of outward, and a tattoo would not be useful, however if one wants a tattoo to further ministry and glorify God then it can be a very good thing. 

Science

Science.

Science frustrates me, not because I don't like studying it, I do, but because it is misused so often to try to prove untrue things. The phrase "scientifically proven" drives me up the wall especially, first because its technically impossible to prove anything, and second I can actually "prove" that weight lifting makes you weaker using science, and that is obviously not true. I guess the thing that makes me so biased against science is it is twisted the most in the two areas that I spend the most time researching, studying, and debating: the origin of everything, and bodybuilding.

In the area of bodybuilding the hard thing is there isn't one "truth". Everything is subjective, there isn't one cookie cutter that everyone fits into to get the most results. But every week there are 22.7 new ideas about what gets the best results and what you HAVE to do to get ripped, and they all contradict each other. I'm pretty old school, you do what gets results. Forget about the exact science behind every single exercise, just work out hard, eat well, sleep lots, and be consistent and you will get in shape.

For apologetics and the origin of life things are less complicated. There is only one truth and our job is just to find it. Therefore saying that "science" has "proved" something is not only incorrect but also quite prideful, because no one was there, even their fancy "dating" methods are just like telling the time a candle has been burning by the amount left, with no idea how long it was at the beginning. I prefer logic and reasoning (two other horribly misused words) to find the origin of life. We have lots of facts, so we need to find a theory that best fits the facts. I am convinced that Christianity gives the best explanation for the facts. In fact it works so well that the more information I find, the better the theory works. I have actually won every single debate I've conducted in the last four months without much of a fight whatsoever. Every atheist you debate will use science as their biggest "proof" so if you can discredit science the battle becomes a cake walk. When you are right, both sides figure out pretty quickly.

So basically, next time someone tries to hook you on a new product or a new idea that has been "proven with science" spit in their eye!

Young or Foolish?

So I haven't posted for a while... Here is something to chew on:

Young or foolish?

Young does not necessarily mean foolish. Foolish means foolish, it is not determined by age. You can have 90 year old idiots and 12 year old geniuses. Wisdom, the opposite of foolishness, is made up of three things: knowledge, experience, and understanding. You can have a very experienced and knowledgeable old fellow who has no understanding, you can also have a young guy who has lots of knowledge and understanding, but limited experience, neither of these people qualify as wise. Wisdom is something that you can not self diagnose, it must be obvious to other people. This is why God is the most wise being that has ever existed; he has ultimate amounts of every facet of wisdom, he is all knowing, all understanding, and has infinite experience.

Why do so many scientists believe in evolution?

The obvious reason that so many scientists endorse the theory of macroevolutionary process as the best explanation for life origins and development here on earth is because they really believe such to be the case. But is that true, really? Is it possible that there's a lot more to the story than meets the eye?

Wayne Friar, Ph.D., AIIA's Resource Associate for Science and Origins, says this:

Polls have shown that about 40% of scientists acknowledge a supernatural power. But the majority of the scientific community, especially evolutionary leaders today, hold an atheistic worldview. As support for their anti-supernatural worldviews, these scientists need mechanisms for the origin of life, especially humans.

Atheism needs evolution to escape from any implications regarding a creator. If one starts with Darwinism, certainly it is easy to escape from any obligation to God. Those opposed to their reasoning are branded as obscurantists who are trying to intrude religion into science.

Dr. Emery S. Dunfee, former professor of physics at the University of Maine at Farmington:

One wonders why, with all the evidence, the (Godless) theory of evolution still persists. One major reason is that many people have a sort of vested interest in this theory. Jobs would be lost, loss of face would result, text books would need to be eliminated or revised.

Evolutionist Richard Lewontin in The New York Review, January, 1997, page 31:

We take the side of science in spite of the patent absurdity of some of its constructs, in spite of the failure to fulfill many of its extravagant promises of health and life, in spite of the tolerance of the scientific community for unsubstantiated just-so-stories, because we have a prior commitment, a commitment to materialism. It is not that the methods and institutions of science somehow compel us to accept a material explanation of the phenomenal world, but, on the contrary, that we are forced by our a priori adherence to material causes to create an apparatus of investigation and a set of concepts that produce material explanations, no matter how mystifying to the uninitiated. Moreover, that materialism is an absolute, for we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door.

Columnist George Caylor once interviewed a molecular biologist for an article entitled “The Biologist,” that ran on February 17, 2000, in The Ledger (Lynchburg, VA), and is in part reprinted here as a conversation between "G: (Caylor) and “J” (the scientist). We joint the piece in the middle of a discussion about the complexity of human code.

G: "Do you believe that the information evolved?"

J: "George, nobody I know in my profession believes it evolved. It was engineered by genius beyond genius, and such information could not have been written any other way. The paper and ink did not write the book! Knowing what we know, it is ridiculous to think otherwise."

G: "Have you ever stated that in a public lecture, or in any public writings?"

J: "No, I just say it evolved. To be a molecular biologist requires one to hold onto two insanities at all times. One, it would be insane to believe in evolution when you can see the truth for yourself. Two, it would be insane to say you don't believe evolution. All government work, research grants, papers, big college lectures—everything would stop. I'd be out of a job, or relegated to the outer fringes where I couldn't earn a decent living.

G: I hate to say it, but that sounds intellectually dishonest.

J: The work I do in genetic research is honorable. We will find the cures to many of mankind's worst diseases. But in the meantime, we have to live with the elephant in the living room.


G: What elephant?

G: Creation design. It's like an elephant in the living room. It moves around, takes up space, loudly trumpets, bumps into us, knocks things over, eats a ton of hay, and smells like an elephant. And yet we have to swear it isn't there!

Dr. John Morris, president of the Institute for Creation Research:

[Scientists] see the evidence for creation, and they see it clearly, but peer pressure, financial considerations, political correctness, and a religious commitment to naturalism force them to look the other way and insist they see nothing. And so, the illogical origins myth of modern society perpetuates itself

Biblical worrying.

Biblical Worrying (7)

This actually was not one of the lectures but I decided to talk about it today.

Is it biblical to worry?
My first inclination is to say no. It must not be because it says to worry about nothing:
Matthew 6:27, 34
Philippians 4:6,7,19
1 Peter 5:7
Luke 12:29
John 14:1

A closer look at these verses changed my mind. I separate worry and concern. (I'm just using these for what I'm saying, not for their actual definitions...)
Worry is noticing that you have no bread for tomorrow and staying up fretting.
Concern is knowing that your son is out fighting in Iraq and feeling anxious about him.

I think that it is biblical to be concerned about other's welfare, although it should not become a distraction that prevents a perfect relationship with Christ. As it says in 1 Peter 5:7 you should cast your concerns and anxieties on Jesus and let him handle the stress.

Worry is always wrong. It shows a lack of faith in God's providence and ability to provide for your needs. This is strongly supported by the verses above.

Image of the Logos

The Image of the Logos (6)
Being a word eater, part 1.

Key verses: But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:4 ESV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1 ESV)

The most significant event of the 20th century was the decline of the age of typography and the ascent of the age of television.

Why is this significant?
Because with no words you can not think. With no way to organize your thoughts into things with meaning you do not think. This is shown by Helen Keller.

She remembers when she didn't know how to communicate everything was just black nothingness in her mind. There was no meaning to anything. It was only on March 3, 1887, when she learned her first word that she said that she first had a thought and was excited for the next day to
come. She calls that day her soul's birthday.

The imago dei---what is it?
(Image of God)
We have five basic non-physical attributes of a non-physical God.
This is also what separates us from animals. Animals have the first three but to a lesser degree because of the lack of words.
•Intelligence- Language enables a much higher level of intelligence. With no language Helen Keller would have peaked at a low level of smarts. As it works out she was a genius.
•Personality- Animals have a certain level of personality but it is more in their breeds then the individuals. Golden retrievers are more friendly while terriers are more fierce.
•Gregariousness- (a fancy way of saying we like to hang out with other people). Animals form groups too but it is mostly for survival purposes. We group together because humans are attracted to each other.
•Morality-We have innate morality while animals do not. They have no problem killing each other.
•Creativity-We are the only creatures that create for our pleasure alone.

We should consume words.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 ESV)

Being a question asker (part 2)

Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. (Acts 17:11 ESV)

When we are consuming words we should not always do it by ourselves. Sometimes we must have discourses with others.
There are three ways we should do this:
•Language acquisition-hearing words.
•Oral discourse-Asking questions of people.
•Literary discourse-Having conversations with authors and books by reading them.

We are a generation raised by appliances. We are raised more by computers than by people. This is not a good set up for learning. The messages might be true but there is no room for questions.

So what is the difference between images and words?

Images:
-Communicate immediately and intuitively.
-Are impressionistic
-Are scanned subjectively
-Can not be judged true or false

Words:
-Communicate through abstraction and analysis
-Are precise and exact
-Are read in linear, logical fashion
-Can be judged as true or false.

The Principle Thing

The Principle Thing

Ok let's face it. Logic and reason are good but there is something better: wisdom.

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15, 16 ESV)

Wisdom is ALL OVER in the scriptures. READ IT. It goes from Job to the Song of Solomon.

If we live by open doors and green lights we will never get anywhere. We must have wisdom to discern for ourselves what is the path to choose and not just go with the path of least resistance.

There is basically two types of wisdom:
1) That which is from man.
2) That which is from God.

These OFTEN CONFLICT. Obviously the wisdom of God is always gonna be right and because we are often wrong then they are not always gonna go hand in hand.

Wisdom is NOT: What you THINK.
Wisdom is NOT: What YOU think.
Wisdom IS discerning truth.
Foolishness is inventing truth.

Wisdom requires the same thing as a building:
Fortifica/Foundati
Basically that means that you need both a foundation and fortifications. But they must be in their proper place.

A Theory of Wisdom:
-Wisdom starts with worldview
-Wisdom is the consistent outworking of (a) belief (b) action (c) discernment from worldview.

Basically it means wisdom is deciding what to believe and what not to believe.

Three times in the Bible (Proverbs 1:7,9:10, Psalm 111:10) it says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. I don't know a whole lot but I do know that when the Bible says something three times it means that it is REALLY important.

So what does it mean to fear God?
1. Establish the right relationship with Him.
2. See the world as he sees it, through His eyes.

Let's look at two examples of people who took different ways in life, one is man's wisdom and the other is God's wisdom. Watch how it turns out:

1. Path of Pleasure
Man: Solomon

And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 2:10, 11 ESV)

It doesn't make you happy. It leaves you with the feeling that you accomplished nothing.

This is man's wisdom: Avoid pain, pursue pleasure.

2. Path of Pain.
Man: Job

Then Job answered the Lord and said: "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 'Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.' I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:1-6 ESV)

You go to any public school, raise your hand in class, and tell the teacher that you despise yourself and repent in dust and ashes and you will probably be sent to counseling...

The truth is pain teaches a lesson.
The lesson: the inscrutability of God's ways and our need to glorify Him regardless.

God's wisdom:
Believe truth (the Bible), do good.

Clearly the second option looks foolish but in factuality it is the wise one. Does this mean that you should seek suffering and try to fail? No! It will come soon enough, just read 1 Peter 3:14b-17. It just means that you shouldn't try to avoid pain and pursue pleasure with all you've got.

The Power of Doubt

The Power of Doubt

Mark Bertrand

Read the following passage:

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you." And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, "The Lord will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided." (Genesis 22:1-14 ESV)

Then read Genesis 18:22-33

Did you notice anything?

Abraham pleads for Sodom, but NOT for Isaac! Why?

Perhaps it is because Abraham knew something about God: God was perfectly holy and told Abraham that murder was wrong. Hmm... How would a perfectly holy God order someone to murder his own son? The answer is that he wouldn't, and perhaps Abraham knew this.

Would God ever order us to murder? This question is asked by atheists a lot as a way to get Christians to doubt. They say that "God told old testament people to kill all the time... Why would he not tell you to?" the answer is very simple: God is perfectly consistent and Holy. He also is perfectly just. Killing is not wrong if the person is being punished by God. Look at Sodom and Gomorrah.
I believe that Abraham knew that whole time that God would never tell him to murder, however he was so tuned into following God that he probably would have gone through with it had God not stopped him.

Let's look at Matthew 28:16-17

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. (Matthew 28:16, 17 ESV)

Did you catch it? "but some doubted"

Is doubt permissible? Yes. But it should not be commonplace.

In the play Hamlet, the prince doubts the legitimacy of his fathers ghost's claims. Hamlet is looking for verification. He must be sure before he kills his uncle. Abraham just believes God, he doesn't question him.

Doubt is powerful. Rene Descartes once said:
"I will suppose therefore, some malicious demon of utmost power and cunning has employed all his energies to deceive me."

Doubt requires grace to be overcome. We can't do it on our own.

Abraham doesn't have to go through with the sacrifice of Isaac but God went through with the sacrifice of Jesus.

Look at the parallels between Romans 8:32 and Genesis 22:16-17

What Kind of Monster are You?

Worldview seeks to answer two main questions:
1. What is the nature of man?
2. What is the nature of God?

We will deal with the first now.


In two books, Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, two different types of natures are described. In Frankenstein man, the monster, is basically good and corrupted by society over the course of the book. In Dr. Jekll and Mr. Hyde a man tries to seperate his good side and his bad side. It backfires when his bad side is created and formed a new man, but his good side is still corrupted too. In that book men are basically evil and individuals are responsible.

I'm gonna make a pretty hefty claim now.

Christianity is the ONLY worldview that assumes that man is basically evil.

Now I know what you are thinking. You have already made a list of other religions that assume that man is evil. These might include:
1. Jewish
2. Morman
3. Muslim
4. Jehovah's Wittness

Well let's look at them then!

1. In the Jewish faith you are required to maintain certain parts of the law in order to make it to heaven. These include sacrifices. If man is able to do anything good on his own then he is not totally evil, and can therefore save himself.

2. Mormons believe that everyone goes to some eternity. You mus work hard to become good enough to go to the good place though and must not be wholly evil.

3. Muslims believe that, even if you are not part of the faith, your good deeds and your bad feeds will be put on a scale and if you have at least 50.0000000001% good deeds then you make it to heaven. This implies that man can become mostly good and this is ridiculous.

4. Jehovah's Wittnesses that Jesus died for us, but God can chose not to accept that ransom. You will only be acceptable if you are good enough to make it in.

"For the wages of sin is Death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
--Romans 6:23

In Christianity man is totally incapable of doing anything not sinful before salvation. This means that we are not only evil, we are TOTALLY evil. The Bible says that men don't even desire salvation. It is all God. We are totally helpless until he decides to save us.