Give thanks like Jesus did

1 Corinthians 11:24
and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

In today's post I wanted to consider the instances in which Jesus gave thanks throughout his ministry.  How He gave thanks sets the pattern for the Christian in their need to give thanks. Since giving thanks was common for Jesus throughout His earthly ministry, then it stands to reasons that giving thanks leads to Christ-like-ness. Below I will list all the references we find in the Gospel accounts concerning the times in which Jesus gave thanks.  My prayer is that they edify and encourage you and I in our faith walk. 

Matthew 15:36
and He took the seven loaves and the fish; and giving thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.

Matthew 26:27
And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you;


Mark 8:6
And He *directed the people to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve to them, and they served them to the people.


Mark 14:23
And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.


Luke 22:17
And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves;


Luke 22:19
And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”


John 6:11
Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted.


John 6:23
There came other small boats from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

Why Jesus was always thankful and never bored

Psalm 136:1 "O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever".

1 Thessalonians 5:18 "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Introduction: Why Jesus never got bored and how He was always thankful

As we think about today being "Thanksgiving", I marvel at how our culture as been infected with ingratitude. The more we get, the more we want to get.  In this special thanksgiving post I want you and I to think on how we can be the most thankful people possible not only today, but everyday.  The one thing you never see in Jesus' life while here on earth are instances of boredom.  Without question Jesus' sinless humanity chiefly explains why He never got bored and was always thankful. Yet we must also remember that Jesus came to give us as Christians both the example and empowerment to be like Him. (Hebrews 2:14-15; 1 Peter 2:21; 2 Peter 1:3-4). Jesus' ability to not be bored and to be always thankful stemmed from the fact that He cultivated a constant attitude of thankfulness.  Even though we as Christians will not reach a state of sinless perfection until we are in the presence of the Lord following death or rapture, we can right now begin cultivating and practicing thanksgiving that does not have to be reserved to one day a year.  

At least eight verses in the Gospels record Jesus giving thanks to God. (Matthew 15:36, 26:27; Mark 8:6 ,14:23; Luke 22:17,19; John 6:11,23) If you and I as Christian people are to be more like our Master, we need to cultivate an attitude of thanksgiving and declare war on boredom in our lives.  Below are some thoughts that I hope will guide our thinking today and in the days, weeks and months to come.

1. God's goodness - the source of Christian thanksgiving
There is a disease that is circulating in every home that is detrimental to the Christian walk -boredom. In the above passages, as well as in Jesus' example, we see the motivation for thanksgiving is an invitation and a command to come and behold the goodness of God. Every event, every circumstance, is a window through which I can discover the goodness of God in all things.

2. The link between thanksgiving and God's goodness
It is only by God's grace that we can see His goodness in all things. The above two passages at the opening of today's post are commands. Clearly whenever God commands us to do anything, the command itself will lie outside our ability unaided by grace. For every command there is always a provision of grace. Lamentations 3:22-23 and Philippians 4:13 reminds us of God's daily provisions, and those provisions being accessed through "do all things through Christ who gives us strength".

3. Why true worship and boredom cannot co-exist in the same heart
Even when people are prone to become apathetic and disconnected, there is still ample reason to see God's goodness, however difficult it may be. (please compare Romans 8:28)  There is one human expression that is never justified in any circumstance for the Christian, no matter how seemingly uninteresting certain things may be - boredom. When we get "bored", we are assuming that there is no good or benefit to be gleaned from the event or situation. Boredom is the first step, however passive, in refusing to see the goodness of God. It not only is the enemy of thanksgiving, it is the enemy of worship. Boredom's origin is nothing short of idolatry.

4. How to declare war on boredom
Whenever I get bored, that indicates that there is an area in my heart where I have set up an idol. Boredom comes as a result of unmet expectations. That toy, that television, the thanksgiving meal, lose their perceived goodness because I forget and ultimately refuse to acknowledge that all things come from the Lord. Boredom is what occurs when I expect a created object to bring the same fulfillment as only God can bring. This is why boredom is the seed of idolatry and why it does not belong in the heart, on the lips or through the day-to-day life of any Christian. We should pray like the Psalmist prayed in Psalm 73:25-26 "Whom have I in heaven but You?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

5. Let us be thankful to God and refuse to be bored
As we enter into this season of Thanksgiving, lets declare war on boredom. Lets not lose sight of the goodness of God. Lets not forget that in all things, give thanks to Him, for this is His will in Christ Jesus concerning you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)  Jesus Christ gave us the supreme example on how not to be bored and His indwelling Holy Spirit gives every Christian the empowerment to wage war against boredom. (Romans 5:1-5; 1 Corinthians 2:10-13, 3:16; Galatians 5:16; 2 Timothy 1:14)

God's hand and spiritual discernment in Daniel & 1 John

Daniel 6:22 "My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.”

1 John 4:1-2  "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses thatJesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God."

Discerning God's hand at work in the life of Daniel 

One way in which we can outline the Book of Daniel is to consider chapters 1-6 as the historical account of Daniel's life from his arrival in Daniel 1 as a 15 year old lad until the 85th year of his life in chapters 5,6. According to Bible scholar Dr. John Walvoord, we can then insert chapters 7-8 in between chapters 4-5 as being the particular prophetic visions Daniel received in among those chapters. With the remainder of Daniel 9-12 we can see a clear chronological, predictive prophecy of the remainder of history from Daniel's day until the time of Christ's second coming.  The whole book of course would had been written by Daniel, under Divine inspiration, over the course of the 70 or so years he spent in Babylon. 

As we come into Daniel 5-6, we witness the end of the Babylonian Empire and the overtaking of them by the Persians. Just as God had predicted back in Daniel 2 in the famous vision of Nebuchadnezzar's colossus' , the empire of the Medes and Persia did indeed take over. 

Comparing Daniel's life to Joseph's life in the book of Genesis

Whenever you read about Daniel in these chapters, one thing that is instructive is to compare his life to Joseph's life back in Genesis 37-50. Joseph had been forgotten and basically abandoned, first by his brothers and then later on as an innocent man in a dungeon in Egypt. Daniel was "forgotten" for nearly 70 years, for that is how much time passed between his dealings with Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 1-4 until the events of Daniel 5-6. 

Joseph suddenly was brought before Pharaoh to interpret a dream, likewise Daniel was brought before Belshazzar to interpret the hand writing on the wall. Daniel was thrown into a lion's den in Daniel 6 and Joseph had spent time in a pit (thanks to his brothers) and then again later on in a dungeon in Egypt. Joseph was a man of integrity and uprightness, with scripture recording no failure of faith on his part, so the same with Daniel. Then finally, God elevated Joseph to second in command in Egypt and gave him success and Daniel too was elevated to a high position (third position) and also had success. God proved himself faithful. 

How John instructs the believer on the nature of discernment in 1 John

Whenever you turn to 1 John, you are first given instructions on how to discern between the "spirit of error" and "the spirit of truth". Thankfully, through the scriptures we can be like Daniels and Josephs, knowing how to discern good from evil. 1 John 4:7-21 highlights for us God's love. God's love can be defined as: living through the cross (1 John 4:9,10,19); overcoming anything (4:12); validated by the Holy Spirit (4:13) with its expression being in sound doctrine (4:14-21). Only the love of God will sustain us and only His love can enable us to be a passionate and faithful people living as strangers in a strange world, just like such love sustain men like Joseph and Daniel.

Persevering faith in Daniel & 1 John

Daniel 3:18 "But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."

1 John 3:1 "See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him."

Persevering faith in Daniel 3-4
In today's post we turn again to the Book of Daniel to discover more important truths about persevering faith. Daniel was just a young man of 15 years of age when he and his friends were taken into exile in Babylon. As he by God's favor began to gain respect and favor in the eyes of Nebuchadnezzar's court, God began giving dreams to the King and giving Daniel the ability to interpret. The famous account of the fiery furnace focuses on Daniel's three friends, and their refusal to give into compromise. They persevered under pressure. The question is: what marks persevering faith? 

1. We note first of all that persevering faith rejects unbelief. (Daniel 3) Rejecting unbelief entails knowing who I am, Whose I am and the Great I am. 

2. A second trait of persevering faith is the fact that such faith rests in God's Sovereignty. (Daniel 4) Nebuchadnezzar was humbled by God for His persistent refusal to acknowledge God in His Sovereignty. Daniel rested in such truth, as well as Daniel's three friends. However despite Nebuchadnezzar's decree that contained words about God's power, the king's idolatrous heart was still was present.  It is one thing to endorse God in the front of men and yet only true, persevering faith will in the heart gladly rest in the Sovereignty of God affirmed by the lips.  Only when we rest in God's Sovereignty will we then have a faith that perseveres. 

1 John 3 and the marks of true, genuine, persevering faith

1 John 3 also deals with the subject of one's faith. The whole book of 1 John is concerned with establishing the assurances of salvation that are afforded to the Christian. So the question is: how can we know that we are truly born-again, converted people in Jesus? 

True Christians will first of all hope in Christ's coming (1 John 3:1-3); hate sin (3:4-10); love the saints (3:11-17) and heed the scriptures (3:18-24). Does that mean that all Christians will do this equally or in the same fervor? No. At bare minimum these traits should be marked by increasing frequency and intensity over the course of the Christian's life. 

1 John 3 reminds us of the truth we find in 2 Corinthians 13:5 "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-unless indeed you fail the test?" May you and I today persevere and lean upon Jesus Christ and His finished work - in faith and by His word.

The themes of assurance & security in Daniel and 1 John

Daniel 1:8-9 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. 9 Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials

The theme of assurance and security in the book of Daniel
As you begin to read the Book of Daniel, you read a book that is partly historical, partly prophetic and also devotional. Like a three braided rope are these three themes weaving their way through Daniel book. In Daniel 1:1-2:18 we see Daniel as a 15 year-old lad, along with his friends, taken away into Exile in Babylon, some 800 miles from their Jewish homeland. 

We could say that is these verses, we see the devotional theme of Daniel persevering in the faith in how he and his friends: reject the world (1:1-21) and rely upon the word of God (2:1-20). Intermingled in this devotional theme is the prophetic dream of Nebuchadnezzar. God gives Daniel wisdom as he and his friends seek God in prayer over the dream's interpretation. We see in Daniel 2:19-23 the following comforts of God's Sovereignty: God reigns (2:19-21); God reveals (2:22) and God relates (2:23). 

As Daniel then stands before the King to give the interpretation of the grand colossus or statue of Nebuchadnezzar's dream.

 We discover the prophetic history and destiny of history from Daniel's day to the end: the enormous Kingdom of Babylon is the head of gold(2:36-38); empire kingdoms of Persia, Greece and Rome, represented by the colossus' chest, belly and legs (2:39-40); an evil kingdom, the kingdom of the future anti-Christ, represented by the feet and toes (2:41-43) with a stone smashing the statue as representing the Kingdom of Jesus Christ conquering at His return in Daniel 2:44-45. 

Nebuchadnezzar's statue or colossus represents the system of unbelief and Satanically inspired, man-made rebellion called "the world".  Daniel's faith perseveres because he finds assurance in God's Sovereignty and retains the understanding of who he is in the Lord despite being in a foreign land. 

The theme of assurance and security in 1 John
Such assurance is not only found in Daniel, but is also focused upon in the book of 1 John. The book of 1 John is written to give assurance of salvation to those who have believed on Jesus Christ unto eternal life. (1 John 5:13) In 1 John 1, we see that God is the fountain of assurance (1:1-4); closeness to God clarifies assurance (1:5-7) and confession of sin restored assurance (1:8-10). What must be kept in view is that in the doctrine of perseverance, eternal security is based upon what Christ has done, whereas assurance is the believer's experience and internal awareness of their eternal security in Jesus. 

A Christian can never finally fall away from salvation, however their assurance can vary, depending on the trials, or level of fellowship they have with God. The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 notes: "All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. Believers may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation." 1

To illustrate, my wife and I for instance are married till death do us part and our relationship is a lifetime commitment. However if she and I have a disagreement, I may feel or she may feel a lack of peace and experience a lack of close fellowship for a short time. However that does not mean the marriage relationship is over, only that the marriage fellowship is being affected, and that we want to get the fellowship back. Thus it is with John's point in 1 John. 

When we come to 1 John 2, we are reminded of the confidence believers have before God through their Advocate, their King - the Lord Jesus Christ. In the latter part of that chapter, Christians are told not to love the world which is composed of the lust of the eyes, the flesh and pride of life. Just like Daniel interpreted, this world system will be "smashed" and is passing away due to the soon coming of Jesus Christ, the "Rock" of salvation Whose Kingdom has no end. It is incumbent upon us as Christians to tell others of Him and that they by grace through faith can escape the wrath of God that is coming on this world. 

Conclusion

Make fellowship with God and His Son the priority, while leaning on the salvation of relationship He has secured eternally for you in His choice of you and in the giving of His Son. (John 15:16; 1 John 4:19) Like "Daniels" in a foreign land, Christians living in this 21st century world need to find their security of identity in God's Sovereignty operating in their lives and in His word.

Endnotes:

1. http://www.sbc.org/bfm/bfm2000.asp#iv  Please note the above quote under Article # V: God's Purpose of Grace, second paragraph. 

The How & Why you should study the scripture

Revelation 10:1 "I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire."

Introduction:
In Revelation 4-11 we see a visionary sequence that is concerned with answering the main question: "How will Jesus conquer the world?" The scene begins in heaven with scenes depicting the Father and the Spirit (Revelation 4) and the Father and the Lamb (Revelation 5). The Lamb takes from the Father's right hand the title deed to planet earth and demonstrates that He is worthy to break open its seals that will unleash the sequence of seal judgments (Revelation 6-7) and trumpet judgments (Revelation 8-11) that will run their course through the future tribulation period. In looking at this entire set of chapters, we can note three ways in which Jesus will conquer the world: the tribulation period (6-7), power of prayer (8:1-5) and the power of the Word (8:6-11:19). In today's post we want to focus particular on the Word of God, being that it will be through its fulfillment that Jesus will come back and conquer all the kingdoms of this world. (Revelation 11:15-19)1 

As I thought on this truth of Jesus' use of the power of the Word in the fulfillment of His second coming, the thought came that we as God's people ought to be as much in the Word as possible. We ought to know the Word by knowing how to use it and why, being that Jesus Christ will be using His word to bring about His conquering victory over the world at His return. In this post today we will focus our attention on two main thoughts as we work our way through Revelation 10-11:

1. How do you study the Bible? 
2. Why study the Bible? 

How do you study the Bible?
Whenever you approach a text like Revelation 10-11, it is important to have a few Bible study tools at hand so as to extract the right meaning and application to your life.  The following tools are useful in any part of the Bible you may find yourself reading and studying.

1. Cross Referencing
Perhaps out of all the Bible study tools, none is more important nor effective than cross referencing.  The older name for this practice is what Bible teachers call "the analogy of faith" or "comparing scripture with scripture".  Cross referencing can oftentimes unlock the mysteries of faith and the scripture.  Whenever  we come to Revelation 10, the immediate issue at hand concerns the identity of the "strong angel" in Revelation 10 and "the two witnesses" in Revelation 11. 

In Revelation 10:1 we read: "I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire".  In most reference Bibles you will see small cross references either printed in the margin or in the center column. In the one reference Bible I'm using, the following scriptures are given that correspond to Revelation 10:1 - Revelation 5:2; 18:1 & 20:1. In those passages we see reference to some sort of mighty strong angel that has a strong voice (5:2); illuminates the earth (18:1) and having the ability to bind satan himself with a chain, casting him into the Abyss for 1,000 years (20:1). Noting these references aids greatly in identifying the "great angel" in Revelation 10.  Some commentators have identified the "angel" of Revelation 10 as perhaps a reference to Jesus Himself.  However when you consider how Revelation 10:1 is explained by the other references in Revelation, the meaning of the passage is made plain and clear.

The second mystery to solve has to do with the identity of the two witnesses of Revelation 11:3. Though we are not told their names, their actions appear to tip the reader off to their possible identity.  In Revelation 11:5 we see both of them having the ability to call down fire from heaven. Only two men in the entire Bible were associated with such activity: Moses (Numbers 16:35) and Elijah (2 Kings 1:10-12). We also see in Revelation 11:6 reference to further activities associated with both these men: the power to prevent rain, associated with Elijah (1 Kings 17:1) and turning water into blood being connected to Moses (Exodus 7:14-25). Thirdly we know that Jesus in his first coming actually met with both of these men on the top of the Mount of Transfiguration.  Matthew 17:3 records - "And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him." Fourthly we know that both witnesses will be given the ability to prophesy in Revelation 11:3.  Moses and Elijah of course were prophets.  Such observations can only come as one compares scripture with scripture in cross referencing. Such activity enables the Christian to cultivate the ability to hear God's voice speaking in the scripture.  

2. Repeated Ideas/words
In this Bible study tool we are interested in noting the one or several main words/ideas running through the passage.  In combining what we've observed in our cross references, we can being to interpret the scripture.  Several details could be pointed out in these chapters, but the one main idea that threads its way through these verses is the subject of God's word.  Clearly John is concerned in showing how Jesus is going to conquer the world through His fulfillment of scripture. Note the following verses that either mention or feature the word of God: Revelation 10:2,4,8,9,10; 11:3,7. Whenever you see the Word of God repeated that many times, you are able to see the main point of the passage: Jesus is going to use the power of the Word of God in His overall program to conquer the kingdoms of this world.  Further cross-referencing reveals that Revelation 10:9-10 matches with passages such as Ezekiel 3:3 and Jeremiah 15:16, both of which depict prophets "eating" or "taking in" the scripture.  If anything, we need to be taking in the scripture and understanding it.  Revelation 1:3 reminds the reader: "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near."

3. Six Questions

We can utilize this third tool that causes the reader to interact with the Bible like a real person.  The six questions are: who? what? why? where? when? & how?

-Who is the strong angel? An angelic emissary delegated by God to execute his judgments prior to Jesus' second coming.

-What are the angel and the witnesses doing in these chapters? They both are testifying to a watching world of the Sovereignty of the Father and preparing the way for the second coming of the Son.

-Why are these chapters important in John's overall argument in Revelation? To remind the reader that it is Jesus Christ, not the Anti-Christ nor the world-system that will determine the course of history. It is God's Word, not man's opinion that will have the final say in all matters of time and eternity. 

-Where is the action taking place? On earth
-When is the timing of all these events?
During the latter half of the seven year tribulation period.  We know this by virtue of the length of time given for the two witness (presumably Moses and Elijah) to do their ministry (1260 days = 3 1/2 years).  Such a time period corresponds to the 3 1/2 years of Daniel 9:26b-27 and Jesus' reference to the latter half being called "The Great Tribulation" in Matthew 24:21.

-How will it all end? 
Revelation 11:15 states - “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of HisChrist; and He will reign forever and ever.”

So knowing how to study the Bible gets you into the very tool Jesus will use and fulfill when He comes back to conquer this world.  Knowing His will and plan will enable you as a Christian to get involved in what he is doing and wanting to do.  However there is one more question to answer in this post today: Why study the Bible? 

Why Study the Bible?
We could certainly answer this question by gleaning from the above observation and Bible study tools.  However I want us to understand what Revelation 10-11 have to reveal to us about the nature of the Word of God itself.  The nature of something determines what value and effort we put into it.  What kind of book is the Bible and why should you study it? Let me give you six brief words and definitions about the Bible from Revelation 10:11, the Bible is....

1. Inspired = God's very words. Revelation 10:2-3

2. Inerrant = J.I Packer notes "what scripture says, God says - through human agents and without error."

3. Infallible = Incapable of failure. Revelation 10:7

4. Sufficient = Enough to comfort or convict to spiritual change. Revelation 10:9-10

5. Authority = to transmit the purpose and power of God among His people, in the world and over the conscience. 11:3

6. All about Jesus = The scriptures point to Jesus. 

Those six terms give you six reasons as to why you should study God's Word, as well as utilize the above Bible study tools in knowing how to study God's Word.  

Conclusion:
As we close out today's post, I want to end with this insight from noted theologian J.I. Packer concerning the importance of God's Word and everything we have looked at today: "Only truth can be authoritative; only an inerrant Bible can be used in the way that God means scripture to be used. Its text is word for word God-given; its message is an organic unity. The infallible word of an infallible God, a web of revealed truths centered on Jesus Christ."2

Endnotes:
1. Let the reader note that in the book of Revelation we often see John presenting the same general time period or sequence of events in a repetitive fashion.  This feature of Revelation is what scholars call "recapitualation", meaning that the same material is repeated again and again but in ever increasing detail and intensity. Revelation 4-11 covers the final half if not the entire seven year tribulation period.  The next visionary sequence, Revelation 12-14, covers the same time period except the emphasis shifts from history to the rising and defeat of Anti-Christ.  Revelation 15:1-19:10 covers the same time  period yet once more, with the focus switching to the religious, economic and political infrastructure of prophetic Babylon that will fall at the end of the tribulation period at Christ's return. In all we see the tribulation period surveyed three times in three layered cycles from Revelation 6:1-19:10. 

2. James Montgomery Boice and J.I. Packer. Does Inerrancy Matter. International Council on Biblical Inerrancy. 1977. Page 19.

The Paradox of Evidence and Faith - Evaluating the History Channel's: "Bible Secrets Revealed"

John 10:38 "but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father."

Luke 16:30-31 "But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Introduction: Why the History Channel's current series - "Bible Secrets Revealed" will end in failure, and the only fitting response

As I have now watched two episodes of the History Channel's "Bible Secrets Revealed", I got to thinking on Jesus' statements in the above two verses.  The series aims to expose and explore the so-called hidden secrets of the Bible and behind the Bible.  In the past two episodes thus far, an entire slate of critics from the fields of religion, Biblical studies and even different faiths outside of Christianity (Dr. Reza Aslan is a Muslim) are used to evaluate the truth claims of the Bible.  The overall thrust of the series is that if only there was more evidence, or if the Biblical text was more clear, then maybe there would not be such widespread confusion and unbelief about the Bible. It is evident that the panel of scholars in the series and the show's producers have hostilities towards the truth claims of scripture and its ability to be clear. But even more so is the mistaken notion that with enough evidence, with enough miracles and with clear enough data, Christian faith can then be achieved and embraced. But is that true? Why is the History Channel's current series flawed and why will its objectives fail? What is the only fitting response? I will hold off on the fitting response part until the end of this post.  For now we will explore the inherent flaw I see in the History Channel's current series. It lies in what I am calling in this post today: the paradox of Evidence and Faith. 

On the one hand evidence is included by God in drawing conclusive proof about the claims of Biblical faith

Biblical faith can be understood under three headings: propositions, proof and persuasion.  When we say propositions, we speak of the doctrinal statements and truth of scripture. Propositions such as "Jesus is God" or "The Bible is the inerrant, infallible Word of God" or "God created the heavens and the earth" are propositions, truth statements that are drawn directly from scripture.  As Dr. Francis Shaeffer said years ago, God is a talking God who speaks to us through words. The older theologians spoke of this element of Biblical faith by the Latin term notitia, meaning the contents of faith.   

The second leg of Biblical faith has to do with the proof of the propositions brought to the mind.  Proof, in the form of general revelation in nature (such as scientific information) and reason are included in the communication of the propositions or contents of faith.  In this second leg of Biblical faith, recognition is made that such proofs are given by God to man to grant to man knowledge about Himself. Theologians of old used the Latin term ascensus (assensoos) to speak of the mind making its "ascent" or agreement to the propositions (notitia) of the Christian faith.  By evidence drawn from such sources as science, reason or miracles - proofs of God's existence, general identity and Goodness are presented.  

Thus the man born blind who was healed by Jesus makes the following appeal to the Jewish officials who were skeptical of Jesus in John 9:33 - "If this man were not from God, He could do nothing." The Apostle Peter preached these words in Acts 2:22 "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know." Paul writes concerning God's use of proof or evidence from general revelation to man in Romans 1:18-20 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen,being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse."  When Jesus makes His statement in John 10:38 that the miracles He performs give  ample enough testimony about His identity and mission, He is speaking about the propositions (He being Messiah, God in Human flesh) and proof. 

God utilizes the propositions of Christian faith from the special revelation of His word (the Bible) and gives proofs from the general revelation of nature and providential use of the miraculous (such as He did in Jesus' ministry) as part and parcel of the overall presentation of Biblical faith. Faith and reason are not foes, but friends. Yet reason by itself is insufficient to bring a person to a true, saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Propositions and agreement with the proofs of Christianity alone does not make one a believer. As James reminds us in James 2:19 "You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder." 

The paradox of evidence and faith is that as much as the evidence of propositions and proof make for a conclusive case for the Christian faith, nevertheless unbelieving man will still conclude that the case is not compelling. It is one thing to say "I conclude with what you say is true".  Yet it is quite another matter to say: "I not only conclude with what you say, I am compelled to trust and embrace your conclusions.  

Unless the Holy Spirit persuades and brings the grace that includes faith and repentance to the unbelieving heart, mankind will willfully and knowingly suppress the propositions and proof of Christianity.  What is needed? Persuasion. Which brings us to the second point about the paradox of evidence and faith....

On the other hand, only the Holy Spirit can persuade the unbelieving heart that the propositions and proofs of the Christian faith are not merely conclusive, but also compelling enough to believe.

In Luke 16 we see the account of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man dies and goes to hell, while Lazarus, the believer in the account, dies and goes to heaven (called Abraham's bosom by Jesus). As the rich man gets in a post-mortem discussion and really and argument with Abraham, he makes this statement in Luke 16:28-30 "for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham *said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’30 But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!" The rich man makes the argument that if only there was enough evidence, surely then his brothers could avoid the same destiny as he.  We don't see any words of repentance or regret in the rich man's statements. We see no humility or acknowledgement by the rich man that God's words were right and he was wrong.  His heart is in a runaway rebellion against God, with the proverbial fist shaking itself in God's face. 

What is father Abraham's response to the rich man in Luke 16:31 "But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’” The issue is not over proof or proposition, but persuasion.  In Biblical faith, whether we are talking about that initial work of the Spirit of God in salvation (James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:3-5, 23) or in His ongoing work of keeping the child of God in sanctification (Ephesians 1:18; 1 Peter 2:1), the means of persuasion is the Spirit working in and through the Word.  

Older theologians used to call this third element of Biblical faith by the Latin term "vives fide" (vi-veis fi-day or "living faith"). Romans 10:17 states - "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." It is the gifting of faith from God that shows the Christian propositions and proofs to not only be conclusive, but compelling.  Once the Spirit has done His work in my heart, I freely, willingly and knowingly embrace Jesus Christ as Savior, Lord and Treasure. (John 16:8-11)  The Apostle Paul states in Galatians 3:24-26 "Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus."

God uses propositions and proof and persuasion to bring a man, woman or child to the point of trust and dependance upon He and His word. Faith by its very definition means "firm persuasion". Any embrace of Jesus and the Christian faith is to be credited to God's work of grace in the human heart. case in point in Lydia in Acts 16:14 "A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul."  

Now what happens if a person fails to embrace the Gospel and the propositions and proofs of scripture, is that God's fault or that person's? It is that person's fault because as Romans 1:21-22 "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures."

Conclusion:

So why is the History Channel's current series flawed and why will its objectives fail?  As we have seen through Jesus statements and other scriptures, there is a paradoxical relationship between evidence and faith:

1. On the one hand evidence is included by God in drawing conclusive proof about the claims of Biblical faith

2. On the other hand, only the Holy Spirit can persuade the unbelieving heart that the propositions and proofs of the Christian faith are not merely conclusive, but also compelling enough to believe.

When man fails to embrace what is conclusive concerning the propositions of Christianity (the notitia, doctrines or contents of the faith) and proofs (ascensus or elements to which the mind ascents and agrees with the propositions), the fault lies in man. Why? Because unbelieving man by nature freely and willingly suppresses the truth. So then who is to credit when a person is persuaded that what is conclusive about the propositions and proofs is actually compelling enough to trust? God through the scriptures. The Holy Spirit is the Agent who convicts, convinces and sheds light into an otherwise darkened human heart about the glory of God on the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:4-6) Such a work of the Spirit is called the work of saving faith (vives fide). 

So now what is to be the fitting response? What would be the fitting word to those skeptics who persist in their denials of God's Word and cry for more evidence? Let me close with the words of Acts 16:31 - "They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”