Jude 1:3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common
salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend
earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
Three components of true Christian faith
In today's blog we want to begin exploring what constitutes true Christian faith. In the history of the church theologians have identified three essential elements involved in one's conversion:
1. Notitia (No-tisha) When you have written a "note" to a friend, you had certain words and ideas that you wanted to express. This Latin terms describes the actual contents or core doctrines of the Christian faith. We could say that this is the captial "F" Faith, the objective Faith that Jude speaks about. Truths such as the Trinity, the Deity and Humanity of Christ, The Bible as God's Word, Salvation by Grace through Faith Alone and Christ's literal bodily return constitute this first element.
2. Ascensus (As-sins-us) When we "mentally ascend" to something, we are mentally agreeing with a statement. Thus in this second part, the person is in the realm of their mind mentally agreeing the contents, "notitia" of the Christian faith. Mental agreement is vital, since the mind is included in the event of saving faith. However mental agreement by itself does not mean someone has converted to Christ. James 2:19 is quick to remind us: "You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder."
3. Fiducia (Fi-doo-kia) This term is the actual "faith" given as a gift by the Holy Spirit whereby the sinner can respond in trust to the Good news of Jesus Christ. (John 1:12-13)Ephesians 2:8-9) Now it must be understood that true saving faith is a Divinely given gift from whence flows a delightful response of trust in Jesus Christ. True faith is never done apart from both notita and ascensus. However those first two elements by themselves need the convincing work of the Spirit in fiducia to lead the person from being a mere "professor" of Christ to being a "possessor of Christ".
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Thursday, March 1, 2012
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
The Word Word
1 Peter 1:23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable,
that is, through the living and enduring word of God.
The Word "Word"
When we read of the word "word" in this text, we are looking a description that could either be referring to the Bible, the written "word" or Jesus Christ, the "living word". (Psalm 119:105; John 1:1). The word "word" that is used for both is the Greek word "logos", from whence we derive our English words "logic" and "logical". The term "logos" (word) refers to the characteristic of both the Bible and Christ that serves to reveal the otherwise invisible God. The Bible fully and accurately brings to us the will, words and voice of God. Jesus Christ fully and accurately makes known the Person, Power and glory of God.
The relationship between "The Written Word" and "The Living Word"
The Bible, the "written Word of God", points and centers upon "The Living Word" Jesus Christ. Jesus speaks of the the Old Testament scriptures as pointing to Himself. (Luke 24:44) Likewise, Christ came to fulfill the written Word. The Holy Spirit says in 1 Peter 1:10-11 - "As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, 11seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow." Thus the ministry of God's "written Word" and the majesty of God the Living Word cannot be separated.
What you think about the Bible, you think about Jesus Christ
John 1:1 states - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Psalm 119:105 tells us "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path." As we have already witnessed, both are intregal to the other. In more ways than you and I realize, what we say about the Bible, we end up saying about Jesus Christ. Conversely, what you say about Jesus Christ, you say about the Bible. We know this by the commonality shared between Jesus Christ and the Bible:
1. Jesus Christ is Fully Divine and Fully Human as One Person. (Colossians 1:16, 2:9)
The Bible is s fully Divine and Human Book. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21)
2. Jesus Christ is the source of the Christian life. (John 11:25)
The Bible is responsible for the beginning of the Christian life. (James 1:18)
3. Jesus Christ leads and guides believers. (John 10)
God leads and guides believers through the Bible. (Psalm 119:124)
4. Jesus Christ is without error in His humanity or Deity. (1 Peter 1:21-22; Heb 7:26)
The Bible is without error in its literary and Divine qualities. (Ps 119:96; Proverbs 30:5)
Furthermore, there are passages that use the word "word" in such a way as to make it possible to refer to either Jesus Christ (The Living Word) or the Bible (The living Word)
1 Peter 1:23 above could either be referring to Jesus Christ as the living and enduring Word of God (John 1:1, 14) or the Bible as the Living and enduring word of God. (1 Peter 1:25) Another text, Hebrews 4:12, though easily referring to the Bible's qualitiy as a living book, could easily too refer to Jesus Christ the Living Word.
To say that the Bible has errors, or that the Bible is not sufficient is to say the exact same thing about Jesus Christ. May we prize the scriptures, since in doing so we prize Christ, the Living Word.
The Word "Word"
When we read of the word "word" in this text, we are looking a description that could either be referring to the Bible, the written "word" or Jesus Christ, the "living word". (Psalm 119:105; John 1:1). The word "word" that is used for both is the Greek word "logos", from whence we derive our English words "logic" and "logical". The term "logos" (word) refers to the characteristic of both the Bible and Christ that serves to reveal the otherwise invisible God. The Bible fully and accurately brings to us the will, words and voice of God. Jesus Christ fully and accurately makes known the Person, Power and glory of God.
The relationship between "The Written Word" and "The Living Word"
The Bible, the "written Word of God", points and centers upon "The Living Word" Jesus Christ. Jesus speaks of the the Old Testament scriptures as pointing to Himself. (Luke 24:44) Likewise, Christ came to fulfill the written Word. The Holy Spirit says in 1 Peter 1:10-11 - "As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, 11seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow." Thus the ministry of God's "written Word" and the majesty of God the Living Word cannot be separated.
What you think about the Bible, you think about Jesus Christ
John 1:1 states - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Psalm 119:105 tells us "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path." As we have already witnessed, both are intregal to the other. In more ways than you and I realize, what we say about the Bible, we end up saying about Jesus Christ. Conversely, what you say about Jesus Christ, you say about the Bible. We know this by the commonality shared between Jesus Christ and the Bible:
1. Jesus Christ is Fully Divine and Fully Human as One Person. (Colossians 1:16, 2:9)
The Bible is s fully Divine and Human Book. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21)
2. Jesus Christ is the source of the Christian life. (John 11:25)
The Bible is responsible for the beginning of the Christian life. (James 1:18)
3. Jesus Christ leads and guides believers. (John 10)
God leads and guides believers through the Bible. (Psalm 119:124)
4. Jesus Christ is without error in His humanity or Deity. (1 Peter 1:21-22; Heb 7:26)
The Bible is without error in its literary and Divine qualities. (Ps 119:96; Proverbs 30:5)
Furthermore, there are passages that use the word "word" in such a way as to make it possible to refer to either Jesus Christ (The Living Word) or the Bible (The living Word)
1 Peter 1:23 above could either be referring to Jesus Christ as the living and enduring Word of God (John 1:1, 14) or the Bible as the Living and enduring word of God. (1 Peter 1:25) Another text, Hebrews 4:12, though easily referring to the Bible's qualitiy as a living book, could easily too refer to Jesus Christ the Living Word.
To say that the Bible has errors, or that the Bible is not sufficient is to say the exact same thing about Jesus Christ. May we prize the scriptures, since in doing so we prize Christ, the Living Word.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
The Great debate: Is the Bible or the Quran God's word
1 Kings 18:21 Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you hesitate between
two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the
people did not answer him a word.
Debating which is the Word of God - the Bible or the Quran
Years ago I got involved in a ministry whose purpose was to bring the claims of scripture and Jesus Christ to Muslims. A handful of other Christians and myself met with Mosque leadership to plan what would be an open forum "debate" on an agreed upon topic. The first topic was to be "Which is the Word of God, the Bible or the Quran?".
The night of the debate had come. 30 other Christians came with me as we entered into the main part of the Mosque. Men and women were separated. The main room where we held the debate had a table, a moderator, the speaker for the Muslim side and myself, representing the Biblical position. I remember praying to God for wisdom and guidance, since the Muslim speaker was a professor at a university. Both of us each had twenty minutes to present our case, with 20 minutes following for discussion and question and answer.
An unexpected question: what is Betelgeuse?
After each of us had spoken, the moderator opened up the floor for questions. About 100 men were present, and many of them asked the Muslim speaker and myself several questions. Then a little boy of about 8 years of age raised his hand. The moderator acknowledged him, and he asked this obscure question: "Does the Bible or the Quran say anything about Betelgeuse (bee-tle-joose)?"
The moderator looked at the Muslim speaker? The Muslim speaker shrugged his shoulders. I began to pray, as well as those fellow Christians who were in the crowd. Then the little Muslim boy asked the same question again! The moderator looked puzzled? The Muslim speaker also was uncertain of the meaning of the question. As I prayed, God brought to mind Job 38:31 - "Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, Or loose the cords of Orion?"
The Bible alone had the answer to their questions
As I thumbed through my Bible, I aksed the Moderator if I could respond to the boy's question. I pointed out that the text was speaking about the constellation Orion. I also asked the boy if the mysterious "Betelgeuse" was in reference to a large Red Super Giant Star in the constellation Orion? The little boy vigorously shook his head in the affirmative. I told the crowd that in that constellation, there is evidence of stellar activity wherein the gravitational pull of the stars fights against the hot gases pushing against them. God began to reveal how the Bible described this constellation accurately.
By the time I had finished, every Muslim was shocked that the Bible had answered a question that the Quran could not address. For the next three hours every believer in the crowd was surrounded by Muslims asking questions about the Bible. I can recall hearing comments such as "I did not know the Bible had so many answers" or "I was told all my life that the Bible had nothing to say". Truly that night God elevated His word above the Koran, demonstrating the Bible to be the Living book of God, and the Koran to be nothing but a book of men.
Debating which is the Word of God - the Bible or the Quran
Years ago I got involved in a ministry whose purpose was to bring the claims of scripture and Jesus Christ to Muslims. A handful of other Christians and myself met with Mosque leadership to plan what would be an open forum "debate" on an agreed upon topic. The first topic was to be "Which is the Word of God, the Bible or the Quran?".
The night of the debate had come. 30 other Christians came with me as we entered into the main part of the Mosque. Men and women were separated. The main room where we held the debate had a table, a moderator, the speaker for the Muslim side and myself, representing the Biblical position. I remember praying to God for wisdom and guidance, since the Muslim speaker was a professor at a university. Both of us each had twenty minutes to present our case, with 20 minutes following for discussion and question and answer.
An unexpected question: what is Betelgeuse?
After each of us had spoken, the moderator opened up the floor for questions. About 100 men were present, and many of them asked the Muslim speaker and myself several questions. Then a little boy of about 8 years of age raised his hand. The moderator acknowledged him, and he asked this obscure question: "Does the Bible or the Quran say anything about Betelgeuse (bee-tle-joose)?"
The moderator looked at the Muslim speaker? The Muslim speaker shrugged his shoulders. I began to pray, as well as those fellow Christians who were in the crowd. Then the little Muslim boy asked the same question again! The moderator looked puzzled? The Muslim speaker also was uncertain of the meaning of the question. As I prayed, God brought to mind Job 38:31 - "Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, Or loose the cords of Orion?"
The Bible alone had the answer to their questions
As I thumbed through my Bible, I aksed the Moderator if I could respond to the boy's question. I pointed out that the text was speaking about the constellation Orion. I also asked the boy if the mysterious "Betelgeuse" was in reference to a large Red Super Giant Star in the constellation Orion? The little boy vigorously shook his head in the affirmative. I told the crowd that in that constellation, there is evidence of stellar activity wherein the gravitational pull of the stars fights against the hot gases pushing against them. God began to reveal how the Bible described this constellation accurately.
By the time I had finished, every Muslim was shocked that the Bible had answered a question that the Quran could not address. For the next three hours every believer in the crowd was surrounded by Muslims asking questions about the Bible. I can recall hearing comments such as "I did not know the Bible had so many answers" or "I was told all my life that the Bible had nothing to say". Truly that night God elevated His word above the Koran, demonstrating the Bible to be the Living book of God, and the Koran to be nothing but a book of men.
Monday, February 27, 2012
The Bible is in a class by itself
2 Timothy 3:15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to
give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ
Jesus.
Why is the Bible so special and unique?
Over the past few days we have been exploring the exclusivity of the God of the Bible, noting that there is only one way to Him, since He is by nature the God of truth. Some may object and ask why such statements can be made, since the Bible would of course argue for the exclusvity of Christianity over against other religions. Is the Bible unique in the the world of all other religious books? Lets find out three reasons why the Bible is in a class by itself - and thus is the Word of God.
1. The Bible was composed over a longer period of time, by more authors, than any other religious book
As a piece of literature, both from antiquity to modern times, no other book has had more human authors than the Bible. 40 different authors are responsible for the literary side of its composition. Furthermore, beginning with Moses in 1446 b.c up to the Apostle John in 96 A.D, from Genesis to Revelation repesents roughly 1500 years! No book knows of such a length of time to complete!
Despite the length of its composition, the Bible displays remarkable unity of message and flow of thought. Its wonderful purpose is the glory of God, its work is the salvation of God and its wonderful focus is the Son of God. It was written by farmers, poets, kings, prophets, statesmen, theologians, preachers, historians and other types of men. The diversity of human authorship, and unity of thought, demonstrates the Single Divine Author breathing out each word - God Himself. The Bible for sure is a book written by men, however it is a book that is Divinely originated from God. It is not a religious book, it is a revealed book.
Other religious books suffer from lack of unity and diversity
When you survey other "so-called" holy books, you will note that they were written by one person, or unknown people of unknown or questionable character, or within a limited time and circumstance. Books such as the Quran or the Book of Mormon were each written by one man - displaying a very limited point of view. Furthermore, both also display lack of unity in their message and composition.
2. The Bible was composed on three continents and in three different languages
Did you ever think of the Bible, in terms of its literary traits, as being a multi-cultural book? It is a book of the far east, written in the languages of Hebrew and Aramaic. Its settings are as diverse as the deserts of Egypt to the courts of the Kings of Persia to the roadways of Israel. It is a book of European thought, written in the language of the Greeks. In the Bible, East meets West, and Eternity meets History. On the cross, the Bible tells us that Jesus' title: "King of the Jews" was written in three languages of Greek, Aramaic and Latin. God was revealing the fact that from this specific book - the Bible, and from that specific Savior, Jesus Christ, would come forth His command for all men everywhere to repent.
The limitations of other religious books
No other book, claiming to be God's revelation to the world, has these traits. The Koran, the book of Islam, was composed in the land of Arabia, in Arabic - a book that is time bound and geographically limited. The Book of Mormon is a North American book, built on the fable of Native Americans being the descendants of the Jewish people. Outside of North America, the Book of Mormon quickly demonstrates its inability to be a book binding the consciences of all men. The point being that the Bible alone, as a literary work, qualifies to make claims on people everywhere. By virtue of its Divine authorship, the Bible alone is God's tool for converting the hearts of men and women. (Psalm 19:7; James 1:18) No other book can do that. The Bible is the living book of God, whereas all others are dead letters of men.
3. The Bible has hundreds of fulfilled prophecies, no other religious book as even one example
The Bible is a book full of predictive prophecy that can be shown to have fulifllment in history and archaelogical records. By the time Jesus Christ died on the cross and raised from the dead, over 330 prophecies from the Old Testament had been fulfilled. Fulifilled prophecy is the chief mark of Divine inspiration, since human beings are bound by the present, and can only recount the past. The ability to accurately and with detail forecast future events can only have one explanation - A Divine One.
Nostradomas has nothing on the Bible
When you survey the other books of the other religions of the world, you will not find one example of fulfilled predictive prophecy. Everytime I see shows about Nostradomas, I shake my head, knowing that 60% of what he wrote was wrong on predictions or too vague. Every so-called event he predicted is read back into after the fact. According to Deuteronomy 13:13-18 and Isaiah 41:21-23, if a man gets the future right less than 100% and points people in another direction other than the True God of glory, that man is 100% wrong! If anything, the Bible is a book in a class by itself. Its prophecies were always 100% right and highly specific! The alone can be called "The Word of God". It is in a class by itself.
Why is the Bible so special and unique?
Over the past few days we have been exploring the exclusivity of the God of the Bible, noting that there is only one way to Him, since He is by nature the God of truth. Some may object and ask why such statements can be made, since the Bible would of course argue for the exclusvity of Christianity over against other religions. Is the Bible unique in the the world of all other religious books? Lets find out three reasons why the Bible is in a class by itself - and thus is the Word of God.
1. The Bible was composed over a longer period of time, by more authors, than any other religious book
As a piece of literature, both from antiquity to modern times, no other book has had more human authors than the Bible. 40 different authors are responsible for the literary side of its composition. Furthermore, beginning with Moses in 1446 b.c up to the Apostle John in 96 A.D, from Genesis to Revelation repesents roughly 1500 years! No book knows of such a length of time to complete!
Despite the length of its composition, the Bible displays remarkable unity of message and flow of thought. Its wonderful purpose is the glory of God, its work is the salvation of God and its wonderful focus is the Son of God. It was written by farmers, poets, kings, prophets, statesmen, theologians, preachers, historians and other types of men. The diversity of human authorship, and unity of thought, demonstrates the Single Divine Author breathing out each word - God Himself. The Bible for sure is a book written by men, however it is a book that is Divinely originated from God. It is not a religious book, it is a revealed book.
Other religious books suffer from lack of unity and diversity
When you survey other "so-called" holy books, you will note that they were written by one person, or unknown people of unknown or questionable character, or within a limited time and circumstance. Books such as the Quran or the Book of Mormon were each written by one man - displaying a very limited point of view. Furthermore, both also display lack of unity in their message and composition.
2. The Bible was composed on three continents and in three different languages
Did you ever think of the Bible, in terms of its literary traits, as being a multi-cultural book? It is a book of the far east, written in the languages of Hebrew and Aramaic. Its settings are as diverse as the deserts of Egypt to the courts of the Kings of Persia to the roadways of Israel. It is a book of European thought, written in the language of the Greeks. In the Bible, East meets West, and Eternity meets History. On the cross, the Bible tells us that Jesus' title: "King of the Jews" was written in three languages of Greek, Aramaic and Latin. God was revealing the fact that from this specific book - the Bible, and from that specific Savior, Jesus Christ, would come forth His command for all men everywhere to repent.
The limitations of other religious books
No other book, claiming to be God's revelation to the world, has these traits. The Koran, the book of Islam, was composed in the land of Arabia, in Arabic - a book that is time bound and geographically limited. The Book of Mormon is a North American book, built on the fable of Native Americans being the descendants of the Jewish people. Outside of North America, the Book of Mormon quickly demonstrates its inability to be a book binding the consciences of all men. The point being that the Bible alone, as a literary work, qualifies to make claims on people everywhere. By virtue of its Divine authorship, the Bible alone is God's tool for converting the hearts of men and women. (Psalm 19:7; James 1:18) No other book can do that. The Bible is the living book of God, whereas all others are dead letters of men.
3. The Bible has hundreds of fulfilled prophecies, no other religious book as even one example
The Bible is a book full of predictive prophecy that can be shown to have fulifllment in history and archaelogical records. By the time Jesus Christ died on the cross and raised from the dead, over 330 prophecies from the Old Testament had been fulfilled. Fulifilled prophecy is the chief mark of Divine inspiration, since human beings are bound by the present, and can only recount the past. The ability to accurately and with detail forecast future events can only have one explanation - A Divine One.
Nostradomas has nothing on the Bible
When you survey the other books of the other religions of the world, you will not find one example of fulfilled predictive prophecy. Everytime I see shows about Nostradomas, I shake my head, knowing that 60% of what he wrote was wrong on predictions or too vague. Every so-called event he predicted is read back into after the fact. According to Deuteronomy 13:13-18 and Isaiah 41:21-23, if a man gets the future right less than 100% and points people in another direction other than the True God of glory, that man is 100% wrong! If anything, the Bible is a book in a class by itself. Its prophecies were always 100% right and highly specific! The alone can be called "The Word of God". It is in a class by itself.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Why truth matters for now and eternity
Jude 3 "Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common
salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend
earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints."
As solid as the case is for the Bible's argument for the exclusivity of salvation, we still have the issue of 51% of people in American churches denying such a reality. Why? I submit that the issue revolves around the denial of truth itself.
How Western culture has changed its view of truth in the past 200 years
Pilate asked Jesus in John 18:38 "what is truth?" Many observers have termed our culture to be a "post-modern" culture. Post-modernism implies the passing of a period of time called "modernism". Modernism or "modernity" was a movement beginning over 200 years ago that asserted the ability of human beings to individually arrive at discovery of "objective, universal truth". Positively Modernity still clung to the idea of "objective truth" outside of the observer, however in doing so, the movement replaced Biblical revelation and enthorned human reason as the chief way of knowing such truth.
Post-modernism suggests that such a quest is futile, and prefers to say that there is no "universal truth", but rather "truths" that are held by separate communities or groups of people. As a philosophical response to the "individualism" of modernism, post-modernism not only throws out the "baby" of certainty in knowing ultimate truth, but also the "bathwater" of ultimate truth itself.
People who deny ultimate truth are still making a statement about ultimate truth!
In one respect the value of post-modernism lies in the fact that truth statements do not arise out of a vacuum or out of a "neutral" vantage point. Yet to say that truth is nothing more than "truths" or "what is true for you is not true for me" is itself futile, since that statement itself concerns a univeral view of truth! Post-modernism is fraught with the absurdity of denying such a thing as universal truth by asserting that universally, truths are only true in given communities of people!
Truth is the foundation of morality, ethics, faith
If we deny truth, the basis for all moral action is uprooted. Author Tim Keller in His Book "The Reason for God" points out that people who deny objective, moral values will at the same time get angry over injustice. If "injustice" is deemed by all to be wrong, then there has to be a universal sense of justice. The Bible itself affirms this system of morality and ethics as being the Law of God written in the human conscience. (Romans 2:15)
Without universal standards of right and wrong, the possibility of Christian faith itself would be eliminated. In order for the Gospel to be effective, the Law of God has to be involved in showing the sinner there fallen sinful condition. The Holy Spirit uses the Law of God written in the Bible and on the conscience to bear witness to man that he falls short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:10-23) The Gospel demands that all men repent, and come to a knowledge of the truth. (2 Peter 3:9)
Truth is both universal and exclusive
Unless we assert the universality and exclusive nature of truth, the biblical teaching on God being a One-way God will never be embraced. The Holy Spirit brings home to the heart, and the mind, compelling demonstration that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. Could it be that what is missing in our American pulpits is a lack of conviction on the truth of the Gospel, as well as the need for truth in the gospel? Frankly, the Biblical portrayal of the Gospel itself to be the only saving message that is The Truth, since it speaks about The One who is the Truth - Jesus Christ.
As solid as the case is for the Bible's argument for the exclusivity of salvation, we still have the issue of 51% of people in American churches denying such a reality. Why? I submit that the issue revolves around the denial of truth itself.
How Western culture has changed its view of truth in the past 200 years
Pilate asked Jesus in John 18:38 "what is truth?" Many observers have termed our culture to be a "post-modern" culture. Post-modernism implies the passing of a period of time called "modernism". Modernism or "modernity" was a movement beginning over 200 years ago that asserted the ability of human beings to individually arrive at discovery of "objective, universal truth". Positively Modernity still clung to the idea of "objective truth" outside of the observer, however in doing so, the movement replaced Biblical revelation and enthorned human reason as the chief way of knowing such truth.
Post-modernism suggests that such a quest is futile, and prefers to say that there is no "universal truth", but rather "truths" that are held by separate communities or groups of people. As a philosophical response to the "individualism" of modernism, post-modernism not only throws out the "baby" of certainty in knowing ultimate truth, but also the "bathwater" of ultimate truth itself.
People who deny ultimate truth are still making a statement about ultimate truth!
In one respect the value of post-modernism lies in the fact that truth statements do not arise out of a vacuum or out of a "neutral" vantage point. Yet to say that truth is nothing more than "truths" or "what is true for you is not true for me" is itself futile, since that statement itself concerns a univeral view of truth! Post-modernism is fraught with the absurdity of denying such a thing as universal truth by asserting that universally, truths are only true in given communities of people!
Truth is the foundation of morality, ethics, faith
If we deny truth, the basis for all moral action is uprooted. Author Tim Keller in His Book "The Reason for God" points out that people who deny objective, moral values will at the same time get angry over injustice. If "injustice" is deemed by all to be wrong, then there has to be a universal sense of justice. The Bible itself affirms this system of morality and ethics as being the Law of God written in the human conscience. (Romans 2:15)
Without universal standards of right and wrong, the possibility of Christian faith itself would be eliminated. In order for the Gospel to be effective, the Law of God has to be involved in showing the sinner there fallen sinful condition. The Holy Spirit uses the Law of God written in the Bible and on the conscience to bear witness to man that he falls short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:10-23) The Gospel demands that all men repent, and come to a knowledge of the truth. (2 Peter 3:9)
Truth is both universal and exclusive
Unless we assert the universality and exclusive nature of truth, the biblical teaching on God being a One-way God will never be embraced. The Holy Spirit brings home to the heart, and the mind, compelling demonstration that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. Could it be that what is missing in our American pulpits is a lack of conviction on the truth of the Gospel, as well as the need for truth in the gospel? Frankly, the Biblical portrayal of the Gospel itself to be the only saving message that is The Truth, since it speaks about The One who is the Truth - Jesus Christ.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
The One way God in the New Testament
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to
the Father but through Me.
We saw yesterday that the God of scripture is a very exclusive God. By the revelation of the tabernacle system and priesthood in the Old Testament, He was was showing salvation to be exclusive and one way. Today we will be exploring the New Testament to determine how clear the Bible is on the truth of there being only One way to God.
The Gospels are very exclusive in their view of salvation
The Gospel of John quoted above gives us the clearest statement in the Bible regarding the unique way of salvation - Jesus Christ. In John 14:6, Jesus reveals Himself to be "The Truth". We had yesterday stated a three-fold argument to explain why it is God is Exclusive in how He deals with salvation:
1. Truth by its nature is exclusive
2. God by nature is Truth
3. Thus it stands that God would be an exclusive God
With Jesus Christ stating Himself to be "The Way, the Truth, The Life", He is further reinforcing the fact that God's One prescribed way in the Old Testament pointed to Himself - the Person who is the One way. In the New Testament we can state our little three-fold statement in this fashion:
1. Truth by its nature is exclusive. As we already saw, God Himself is an exclusive God.
2. Jesus is the Truth personified
3. Thus Jesus is the exclusive way
The Book of Acts declares Jesus Christ to be the only way to God
Acts 4:12 plainly states - “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” How much clearer can the Bible be that salvation is not to be found outside of Jesus Christ, the only way to God.
The New Testament Letters (Epistles) declare Christ to be the only way to God
1 John 5:20 asserts - "And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life." Here again we find reference to Jesus Christ being "The Truth". As this title suggests, Jesus Christ is indeed the only way to God. Furthermore, this verse is a declaration of Christ's deity, the logic is unmistakable:
1. The God of scripture is the source of salvation.
2. Jesus Christ is termed here the source of Eternal Life
3. Thus Jesus Christ is God
The Bible is very clear in its message and wording that God is One God. He has revealed salvation through one book - the Bible. God exists as the Father, who sent the Son, who is revealed by the Holy Spirit to be the Way. No doubt about it, Jesus Christ is the Only Way to God, since in sharing the same nature with God the Father, He is the One Way God.
We saw yesterday that the God of scripture is a very exclusive God. By the revelation of the tabernacle system and priesthood in the Old Testament, He was was showing salvation to be exclusive and one way. Today we will be exploring the New Testament to determine how clear the Bible is on the truth of there being only One way to God.
The Gospels are very exclusive in their view of salvation
The Gospel of John quoted above gives us the clearest statement in the Bible regarding the unique way of salvation - Jesus Christ. In John 14:6, Jesus reveals Himself to be "The Truth". We had yesterday stated a three-fold argument to explain why it is God is Exclusive in how He deals with salvation:
1. Truth by its nature is exclusive
2. God by nature is Truth
3. Thus it stands that God would be an exclusive God
With Jesus Christ stating Himself to be "The Way, the Truth, The Life", He is further reinforcing the fact that God's One prescribed way in the Old Testament pointed to Himself - the Person who is the One way. In the New Testament we can state our little three-fold statement in this fashion:
1. Truth by its nature is exclusive. As we already saw, God Himself is an exclusive God.
2. Jesus is the Truth personified
3. Thus Jesus is the exclusive way
The Book of Acts declares Jesus Christ to be the only way to God
Acts 4:12 plainly states - “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” How much clearer can the Bible be that salvation is not to be found outside of Jesus Christ, the only way to God.
The New Testament Letters (Epistles) declare Christ to be the only way to God
1 John 5:20 asserts - "And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life." Here again we find reference to Jesus Christ being "The Truth". As this title suggests, Jesus Christ is indeed the only way to God. Furthermore, this verse is a declaration of Christ's deity, the logic is unmistakable:
1. The God of scripture is the source of salvation.
2. Jesus Christ is termed here the source of Eternal Life
3. Thus Jesus Christ is God
The Bible is very clear in its message and wording that God is One God. He has revealed salvation through one book - the Bible. God exists as the Father, who sent the Son, who is revealed by the Holy Spirit to be the Way. No doubt about it, Jesus Christ is the Only Way to God, since in sharing the same nature with God the Father, He is the One Way God.
Friday, February 24, 2012
The One Way God of the Old Testament
Exodus 23:31-32 “I will fix your boundary from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and
from the wilderness to the River Euphrates; for I will deliver the
inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.
32“You shall make no covenant with them or with
their gods.
Recent statistics on American churches beliefs about there only being one way to God
The Pew Forum, a research group that conducts surveys on topics related to Christianity, polled 35,000 Americans, many of which were considered "Evangelical". An evangelical is someone who holds to "The Evangel" (The Gospel) and believes that the event of Christ's death, burial and resurrection becomes an experience in a person's life by grace through faith alone. When asked whether Jesus was the only way to God, only 49% of those claiming to be Bible-believing Christians believed that to be the case.
God is exclusively God
When you survey the scriptures, you discover that the Bible is very clear on the subject of salvation's exclusivity. As can be seen in the above verse, the Old Testament has God being very exclusive: He and He alone is the only God. The Jewish people were repeatedly told not to regard the religions around them, since those religions did not advocate real gods - but rather non-existent ones. God is not merely the greatest among all other gods, He Alone is the One true God, there is not other Savior. (Isaiah 43:10-11)
God is exclusive about salvation
As you read on into Exodus 24-40, The Lord reveals to Moses (the human author of Exodus) the details of the worship and sacrificial system of Israel called the Tabernacle. Each ritual and piece of that worship center emphasized this point: salvation is only in the God of revealed scripture. When you approached the Tabernacle, there was only one way of entry. You could only be made right with the Lord by one method - the shedding of blood of an innocent sacrifice. There was only one way you could relate to this God - the Priesthood of which He had prescribed. The three-fold accomplishment of salvation: reconciliation, cleansing and restoration, was in the Old Testament accomplished by One way revealed by God.
God is exclusive about the book He used to reveal the exclusive salvation
As you can see, the idea of there only being one way with God did not just begin in the New Testament. We have seen the Old Testament's insistence on there being One God. Second, that this One God revealed one system through which He prescribed the way of salvation. In keeping with His method, God also spoke words to one group in the Old Testament - the Prophets, who wrote a series of books in the Old Testament era that were known by the Jews as the Law, the Prophets and the writings. These books were individually identified immediately after their composition as God's word. As a collection, the books that our now our current 39 books were a well established "canon" or standard by the days of the return from Exile under Ezra the scribe in 530 b.c. The Jews for centuries prior recognized the books that were "God's word" versus other writings that either were not His word or were pagan rituals to be rejected.
God is an exclusive God because He by nature is true
The scriptures are emphatic on God being by nature the True and living God. He governs His world by justice and righteousness, which are attributes issuing forth from His nature as the True God. (Exodus 34:6; Psalm 89:14). Therefore we can conclude today's blog with this thought as to why the God of scripture in the Old Testament is The One way God:
1. Truth by its nature is exclusive. It standardizes what is real and right from what is imaginary and wrong.
2. God is by nature Truth.
3. Therefore God must be and can only be Exclusive. This explains why He is exclusive in where He speaks (The Bible) and the Way of salvation.
Recent statistics on American churches beliefs about there only being one way to God
The Pew Forum, a research group that conducts surveys on topics related to Christianity, polled 35,000 Americans, many of which were considered "Evangelical". An evangelical is someone who holds to "The Evangel" (The Gospel) and believes that the event of Christ's death, burial and resurrection becomes an experience in a person's life by grace through faith alone. When asked whether Jesus was the only way to God, only 49% of those claiming to be Bible-believing Christians believed that to be the case.
God is exclusively God
When you survey the scriptures, you discover that the Bible is very clear on the subject of salvation's exclusivity. As can be seen in the above verse, the Old Testament has God being very exclusive: He and He alone is the only God. The Jewish people were repeatedly told not to regard the religions around them, since those religions did not advocate real gods - but rather non-existent ones. God is not merely the greatest among all other gods, He Alone is the One true God, there is not other Savior. (Isaiah 43:10-11)
God is exclusive about salvation
As you read on into Exodus 24-40, The Lord reveals to Moses (the human author of Exodus) the details of the worship and sacrificial system of Israel called the Tabernacle. Each ritual and piece of that worship center emphasized this point: salvation is only in the God of revealed scripture. When you approached the Tabernacle, there was only one way of entry. You could only be made right with the Lord by one method - the shedding of blood of an innocent sacrifice. There was only one way you could relate to this God - the Priesthood of which He had prescribed. The three-fold accomplishment of salvation: reconciliation, cleansing and restoration, was in the Old Testament accomplished by One way revealed by God.
God is exclusive about the book He used to reveal the exclusive salvation
As you can see, the idea of there only being one way with God did not just begin in the New Testament. We have seen the Old Testament's insistence on there being One God. Second, that this One God revealed one system through which He prescribed the way of salvation. In keeping with His method, God also spoke words to one group in the Old Testament - the Prophets, who wrote a series of books in the Old Testament era that were known by the Jews as the Law, the Prophets and the writings. These books were individually identified immediately after their composition as God's word. As a collection, the books that our now our current 39 books were a well established "canon" or standard by the days of the return from Exile under Ezra the scribe in 530 b.c. The Jews for centuries prior recognized the books that were "God's word" versus other writings that either were not His word or were pagan rituals to be rejected.
God is an exclusive God because He by nature is true
The scriptures are emphatic on God being by nature the True and living God. He governs His world by justice and righteousness, which are attributes issuing forth from His nature as the True God. (Exodus 34:6; Psalm 89:14). Therefore we can conclude today's blog with this thought as to why the God of scripture in the Old Testament is The One way God:
1. Truth by its nature is exclusive. It standardizes what is real and right from what is imaginary and wrong.
2. God is by nature Truth.
3. Therefore God must be and can only be Exclusive. This explains why He is exclusive in where He speaks (The Bible) and the Way of salvation.
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