What did Jesus of Nazareth come to Achieve? Acts 10:38-44

Acts 10:38-44 "You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power,and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.39 We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. 40 God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible,41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. 43 Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

Introduction:

In yesterday's post we considered the identity of Jesus of Nazareth from the opening of Apostle Peter's Sermon in Acts 10:34-38. We noted that Jesus of Nazareth is identified in two ways by Peter:

1. Jesus is God in human flesh. Acts 10:34-36

2. Jesus is truly man. Acts 10:36-38

We could say in effect that yesterday served to tell us "who Jesus of Nazareth is" and "What He is". Today's post aims to finish this brief tour of Peter's sermon by considering the achievements of the Lord Jesus Christ. We can never separate His work from His Person. With that said, Peter seamlessly goes into the highpoints of Jesus' achievements. Notice what Jesus of Nazareth, as God in human flesh, being truly man, came to achieve....

1. He came to achieve perfect righteousness. Acts 10:38-39a

Peter states in Acts 10:38-39a "You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power,and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.39 We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem." We must not ever forget that Jesus Christ's incarnation served to not only make Him capable of dying for sins, but also for providing perfect righteousness. Jesus as the Perfect man was anointed by the Holy Spirit - modeling for the Christian the expectation of Spirit-filled Christian living. As the anointed Messiah of prophetic prediction (see Isaiah 61:1-2; Luke 4:18); Jesus fulfilled everything written about Him. He lived a perfect human life so that at the moment of saving faith - upon which God declares the sinner righteousness - the righteousness credited to the sinner would be what Jesus earned. Now notice the second achievement mentioned by Peter, not only perfect righteousness but....

2. He came to achieve victory over sin, hell and the grave. Acts 10:39-42

Peter says next in Acts 10:39-42 "They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. 40 God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible,41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead." This particular statement of Peter, and really the whole sermon, would had been preached with a year or two of the events mentioned. Jesus' death, resurrection and post-mortem appearances supply the drive-train for the Gospel message. Jesus of Nazareth provided satisfaction for sin in His atoning death on the cross (1 Timothy 4:10; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 2:2 ). In defeating sin and atoning for sin, Jesus defeated the powers of Hell (Colossians 2:11-12; 1 Peter 3:18-20). Then thirdly, by raising from the dead and making ten subsequent physical appearances over a period of 40 days (Acts 1:1-3); Jesus demonstrated His defeat of the grave or death (Hebrews 2:11-14). 

So, Jesus of Nazareth came to achieve righteousness and defeat death, Hell and the grave. Now notice the third major achievement mentioned by Peter in Acts 10:43, namely...

3. He achieved the grounds for forgiveness of sins. Acts 10:43

Jesus of Nazareth provided the grounds for redemption, of which the Holy Spirit applies to all who by grace through faith believe on Jesus. Bible teachers often distinguish between the achievement of salvation by the Son and the application of such by the Holy Spirit. The former is objective, historical, once-and-for-all finished. The latter is applied subjectively to each individual believer who graced by God freely chooses Jesus and thus experiences the forgiveness of sins. Only when we believe on Jesus Christ can we receive the forgiveness of sins - which is Peter's point. Peter states in Acts 10:43 - "Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” 

Conclusion:

So Who is Jesus of Nazareth? He is God in human flesh and thus, truly man. What did He come to achieve? Three things: 1). perfect righteousness; 2). victory over death, hell and the grave; 3). grounds for the forgiveness of sins to all who believe. 

Who is Jesus of Nazareth? Acts 10:34-38

Acts 10:34-38 "Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, 35 but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. 36 The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)— 37 you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. 38 You know of Jesus of Nazareth....".

Introduction:

As Peter is addressing his Gentile, non-Jewish audience (with specific focus on the Gentile Cornelius), Peter ties together the innate knowledge about God available to all people in general revelation (see Ps 19:1-6; Acts 14:17; 17:25-28; Romans 1:18-20) and the specific saving knowledge of God revealed in the scriptures and in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth (Ps 19:7ff; Luke 24:44; Romans 15:4). Today's post wants to briefly consider the question: "Who is Jesus of Nazareth?"

1. Jesus is God in human flesh. Acts 10:34-36

We have over the past few blogposts looked at the Christian worldview as it pertains to what is called "Christian Theism". By acknowledging the existence of One all powerful God, Christianity asserts unique details about this God found in no other worldview. Furthermore, this One God, existing in Three inter-relating Persons, is fully revealed in One of those Persons - The Son - coming down to earth and assuming true humanity via the virgin birth (Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:35). This truly human man would be known in scripture and in history as Jesus of Nazareth. 

In as much as Jesus is truly man, scripture quickly reminds the reader that He never ceased being God in the Person of the Son. As only scripture can most accurately express - this Jesus is "The Word made flesh" (John 1:14); "God who appeared in the flesh (1 Tim 3:16) and the full expression of the invisible God (Hebrews 1:1-3). In Acts 10:36 Peter states - "The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)". That title "Lord of All" signifies that Jesus of Nazareth ever remained God as revealed in the Son. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 summarizes what we have been saying up to this point in the opening sentences of it's article on "God the Son": "Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself human nature with its demands and necessities and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet without sin." So, Jesus of Nazareth is God in human flesh. Notice a second truth about Him....

2. Jesus is truly man. Acts 10:37-38a

In as much as we stress the true Deity of Jesus: namely His Eternal pre-existence, co-equality with the Father and Spirit and the fact He never ceased being such in His incarnation; we must not diminish in any way the fact that He did indeed take upon Himself true humanity. Peter goes onto say in Acts 10:37-38a "you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. 38 You know of Jesus of Nazareth....". Peter references the beginning of Jesus' public ministry whereby the Holy Spirit came upon Him in power during His baptism. The Son of God in taking on true humanity lived as a man - the historical and Biblical Christ - Jesus of Nazareth. The same texts we appealed to in the previous point with regards to Jesus being truly God also can be used here to show His true humanity. John 1:14 states: "The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us...". Colossians 2:9 describes Him as the "fullness of the Godhead bodily". Though Jesus of Nazareth the man was fully partaking and participating in humanity as a man, He at the same time was partaking and participating in the Godhead - the One God existing in Three members: Father, Spirit and the Son. As Adrian Rogers has noted: "Jesus was so much man as if He were not God; and yet He was still so much God as if He were not man. Nonetheless, this Jesus is both truly God and truly man." So Jesus of Nazareth is truly God and Truly man. This describes what Jesus is, and Who He is. However, what was it that Jesus of Nazareth achieved? See tomorrow as we continue in this short study of Peter's sermon in Acts 10:34-43.

Contrasting Hindu and Christian views of God and spirituality

Isaiah 43:10-11 “You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord,“And My servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me
And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me. 11 “I, even I, am the Lord, And there is no savior besides Me.

Titus 2:13-14 "looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, 14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds."

Introduction and Review:

Yesterday we considered a suggested way of sharing the Gospel with a Hindu. Today is a continuation of yesterday's discussion, aimed at dealing with specific doctrinal truths one can share to help their Hindu friend see the difference between Christianity and Hinduism. In my experience of talking with Hindus, their underlying belief is that all religions can be tacked onto Hinduism, regardless of the differences. It is vital that in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with Hindus that we stress the exclusivity of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone in a compassionate, winsome way. 

God is immanent and transcedent, but not Pantheistic

First of all let's define some terms. Pantheism is the belief that God is all and all is God. Hinduism is partly pantheistic, meaning that all life, humanity and their concept of deity are all rolled up into one. In Pantheism, to look at a flower, a tree or the air is to experience god as much as I am god and you are god. The Bible makes it plain that God is to be regarded in a complete category by Himself apart from His creation. Bible teachers use the term "transcendence" to describe this feature of the God of scripture. Passages such as Jeremiah 23:23-24; Isaiah 44:6; 1 Corinthians 8:6-7 and Romans 11:36 describe God is high and exalted above His creation. However at the same time God is also immanent, that is to say, He is everywhere with His creation. Thus in Acts 17:278 we do live and move and have our being in God and Colossians 1:16-17 describes Jesus Christ as holding all things together by the Word of His power. 

Madasamy Thirumali writes the following about God's transcendence and immanance in contrast to Hinduism in his book: "Sharing Your Faith with a Hindu", page 82: "Hindus think that becoming one with God is their ultimate salvation, calling it super-spirituality. According to the Bible, this is not acceptable. It is an idolatrous position to put God and creation as one. We are to abide in Him in the sense of fellowship, but we don't become one with Him in the sense of being equal. Christians respect and love nature as the creation of God, but we do not worship it as a god or spirit." Thirumali later writes on the same page of his book: "Christians also hold that while God is seperate from creation, He is active throughout the world and throughout history in the lives of human kind and all He has made."

Contrasting the spiritual goals of Hinduism versus Biblical Christianity

When we think about the spiritual goals set by the Gospel versus Hinduism, the difference is quite profound. Bringing out God's Transcedence and Immanence is vital, being that it avoids the trap of idolatry that is at the heart of pantheism and Hinduism in particular. Paul Carden in his video series on "Christianity, Cults and Religions", notes the following contrasts that relate to our discussion in today's post:

"In Hindu meditation, absorption into the Ultimate is the goal. In Buddhism, detachment from reality and absorption into the void is the goal. Christian meditation aims at attachment to the living God." Paul Carden then cites Psalm 48:9 as an example of how the Christian relates to the True and Living God: "We have thought on Your lovingkindness, O God,In the midst of Your temple."

Christianity alone is based in both miracles and history

The Christian faith is based around five definite miracles: Creation, a Divinely Inspired Bible, Christ's Incarnation, Christ's Resurrection and Christ's 2nd coming. All five miracles involve the all-powerful, Triune God that, being above history and creation is nonetheless involved with it. He made it. Furthermore, God speaks through a book - the Bible. Thirdly, the Son, being God, came to this world to take on human flesh and is thus the Unique Revelation of God in history and salvation. Jesus' resurrection from the dead is a documented, historical event. Then the final miracle that determines history and salvation as spelled out by Christianity is Christ's second coming. 

Hinduism does not have any reliably documented miracles upon which to build its faith. Myths - yes. Narratives - yes. Truth - No. The writings of Hinduism, called the Vedas and Upanishads, are collections of Philosophy, fables and sayings that contain no examples of fulfilled prophecy. In Hinduism, there is no concept of resurrection - only reincarnation. History and life is an endless cycle, with no ultimate purpose other than an undefined one. Meanwhile Christianity asserts life and history to be a one-time time line with a beginning and an end, Creation, the cross and 2nd coming. 

Salvation described by the Gospel has no comparison from Hinduism

Finally, Biblical salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9) Hinduism suggests different methods of salvation that aim at working harder and doing better but never hoping to achieve any sense of certainty about one's future, reconciliation or forgiveness. 

A suggested way to share Jesus with a Hindu

1 Corinthians 8:4-6 "Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him."

Introduction

Over the years I have had opportunities here and there to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with adherents of the Hindu religion. One time I had the opportunity to sit down with a man who is a devout Hindu. In all the conversations I have had over the years with people of non-Christian religions, none have been kinder than the beautiful Indian people who adhere to the Hindu religion. However, God's issue with all unbelievers is not their niceness, or lack thereof, but that they are not right with Him through Jesus Christ. 

Today I want to share a method of sharing the Gospel that God could use in the event you ever come in contact with any devotees of Eastern religion or any worldview for that matter. I used this method with the dear man above. To my knowledge, he has not yet responded to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit would lead him and other people in the Hindu world to a saving knowledge of the truth through faith and repentance in Jesus Christ. Christian apologist Dr. William Lane Craig's definition of evangelism is an excellent reminder of Who is the true evangelist in all our conversations: "Evangelism is where we communicate Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results up to God."

Laying out four words for sharing the Bible's Gospel message with Hindus

When my friend came to me and we sat down, the very first thing I did was to outline for him the entire Bible in four words. Now before I give you the four words, I must say that when dealing with Hindus or any other adherent of any non-Christian religion, it is more important for you to know the Gospel of Jesus Christ than it is to know details about the opposing religion. As valuable as apologetics (defending the faith against non-Christian belief systems) can be and as vital as it is to have a familiarity with the tenets of the opposing belief system, it must be remembered that the Holy Spirit's effective work through the Gospel will win the soul to Jesus. 

With that said, I will list out the four words that I used with my Hindu friend in summarizing the Bible, and then briefly break them down as I did to him:

1. Creation

2. Fall

3. Cross

4. 2nd Coming

Why emphasize creation, fall, cross and 2nd coming?

Why begin with these four fundamental truths? Simply because we Christians living in America are under the mistaken assumption that everyone knows what they are and mean. Lack of spiritual vitality in our churches ought to be evidence enough to show that not everyone is as familiar with the Gospel as claimed. Furthermore, my Hindu friend had never read a Bible, nor even knew what a Bible was. Understand that this young man is highly educated and successful business owner. We all need to be reminded of and re-exposed to the four truths above everyday. 

Breaking down the Bible's salvation message in four words to show Hindus the Savior Jesus Christ

1. Creation. 

I began with Genesis 1 and creation because in the Hindu religion, there are many gods, not one Supreme, All-Powerful Creator who alone is God. Hinduism as a belief system has several versions of how the world began and in many cases, their view of the universe is that it is an endless cycle of birth-rebirth. Knowing that my friend was not familiar with the Bible, I tried to keep Bible references to a minimum. The ones I used for this first point were:

a. Genesis 1:1 This is to assert that God is the Creator of all reality.

b. Genesis 1:26 This was to assert that the God of the Bible is the Creator of humanity as well as reality

c. 1 Corinthians 8:6 This passage reaffirms the Monotheism (belief in One God) of the Old Testament and the fact that Jesus the Son shares equally in that Divine nature and is God. 

Now why did I include Christ's Deity? Because in Hinduism, there is the belief that their many gods have the ability to appear in the forms of men and animals. Nothing is unique. However my aim in sharing this with my Hindu friend was to show that the God of the Bible is unique, and that Jesus Christ is the Unique revelation of God and thus the Creator. So point one of outlining the Bible with a Hindu is: Creation.

2. Fall. 

My next point with my Hindu friend dealt with the fall and rebellion of man in the Garden of Eden. Mind you that this intelligent man had never heard of the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve nor the account of the Creation and Fall. 

To the Hindu, the whole point of their religion is to escape the endless cycle of Sanasara (some spell it "samsara") or Karma. In Hinduism, people are endlessly born, dying and being reborn as different life forms. Depending upon how morally one lives in this life and how much ritual one participates in will, in the Hindu mind, determine whether one has "good Karma" or "bad Karma". Karma is a Hindu word referring to "works or deeds" and is essentially a debt-based system of works salvation. Sansara is likened to a wheel of sorts, wherein a person keeps literally going around in circles. "Sansara" and its related concept "karma" portray a person trying to live good enough in this life to have a better spot in the next. The ultimate goal of Hinduism is to escape "Sansara" (which my friend readily affirmed in our conversation) and to achieve "Moksha" or union with the Universal Soul.

In Hinduism, the underlying principle is that you are never good enough, never will be good enough and thus you need to keep working harder and living better to escape that iron-clad law. The whole concept of "Karma" then is how Hinduism explains the evil in our world, even though in the final analysis the evil we see is not the true and ultimate reality, but what the Hindus call "maya" or illusion.

The Bible of course paints a different picture. There was a literal Adam and Eve and a serpent named Satan who came to tempt them. Passages such as Romans 5:12 summarize for us the events of the fall, namely that through one man sin entered into the world, and through sin came death upon us all. The point of bring up this detail was to show my Hindu friend that evil and sin are not illusory, but realities that intruded into the perfect creation made by God. At this point it is useful to bring out that this life is the only life you got, and that there is no "sansara" or endless wheel of Karma, birth, death and rebirth. Salvation is not escape from an endless cycle of nothingness but escape from wrath and reconciliation to the Creator. This leads naturally into the third main point of the Bible and sharing Jesus with a Hindu...

3. Cross

Why call this point "cross" rather than "salvation"? Hindus need to know that salvation is historical, personal and one-time achieved. The same God who created all things and Whose name and love was rejected by Adam and Eve in favor of a Tree is by nature obligate to show wrath but desires to show mercy. In tying together this point, I began with God's response to Adam and Eve, judgment, followed by mercy. Without going into too much detail, Genesis 3:15-21 demonstrates that Adam and Eve both looked to God in faith for their salvation. His killing of two innocent animals in their place and covering their nakedness and shame set the pattern for salvation: the shedding of innocent blood on behalf of grace led believing, repenting sinners. 

The slaying of innocents in the Garden of Eden would serve to point to the ultimate slaying of the innocent Son in His humanity. For my friend, Romans 5:8 served quite well for this point: "God demonstrated His own love for us in this that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." In Hinduism, the many deities they worship view human beings a pawns on the chessboard of fate, sources for their amusement. The many deities of Hinduism range from being impersonal forces to deities that are as subject to failure as we are. A major "honor/shame" theme runs through all the many varied forms of the Hindu religion. The Gospel is unique in that it is underscored by a "Grace/forgiveness" theme, meaning that God chooses to save whomever He wills based entirely upon His desire to love. God wants to save as many people as possible. Nothing we can do can earn His favor. Period.  

All who believe on Jesus do so because of grace, calling them and keeping them until they are in Heaven with Him. All who persist in unbelief and die and go to hell do so because of their own doing. 

The cross utterly smashes the Hindu system because it asserts that God who made everything became nothing so that we who are nothing could by grace through faith become more valuable than everything He made. So we have creation, fall and cross, but there is one more point in this suggested way of sharing the Gospel with a Hindu...

4. 2nd Coming. 

My Hindu friend at this point is listening very intently and as I am sharing with him I am praying the whole time. At points along the way when I did mention something about Hinduism, I would ask him if what I shared was correct. This is done for two reasons: to make sure he knows I am trying to get to know him and secondly, to make sure I am operating in the realm of truth rather than lies. 

One of the things we have repeated in this post is how much Hindus view reality and life as an endless cycle. 

It has been noted that when Jesus came to this world, he took mankind's cyclical view of life and stretched it out to be one line with a beginning, middle and end. The beginning is creation, of which Jesus is the very embodiment thereof. The middle is the cross, upon which He died and then conquered death in His resurrection. Why? Due to the fall that took place near the beginning and to be the redeemer of all men, especially those who believe. (1 Timothy 4:10). The end point is of course Jesus' second coming. Hinduism knows of no end to history or life. However Jesus' second coming underscores the fact that He who is the Author and Finisher of faith (Hebrews 12:1) is the Author and Finisher of everything. How you are related to Him (faith or unbelief) will tell you your destination. 

My friend of course was unfamiliar with Heaven and Hell, judgment and heaven. To ensure that such truths were not just abstract ideas, centering the end of the conversation on Christ's second coming enables the conversation to end where it really began: upon Jesus Christ.

Final thoughts:

I wish I could tell you that the Hindu man to which I had spoken readily responded to the Gospel. For five minutes he sat in stunned silence. I gently said to him: "I can tell you are thinking over what was said, what are your thoughts?" The man told me that for him, we are all the same. The only response I could give him was: "dear friend, your response and the look upon your face tells me you believe otherwise. We are indeed quite different". Politely he got up and shook my hand and I never saw him again. I would ask you to pray for that man and for the Hindu world of over 1 billion Hindus. Let me close with Isaiah 55:10-11 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; 11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."

The uniqueness of Christian Theism

Acts 28:28-31 "Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen.”29 [When he had spoken these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.]
30 And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him,31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered."

Introduction:
In yesterday's post we began considering various worldviews and focused particular on theism. We noted that "theism" is simply referring to belief in God. After considering some detailed explanations of "theism in general", we concluded by noting how "theism in general" is based upon four key ideas about God: 

1). Creator 
2). Eternal 
3). Providential 
4). Miraculously revealing

When doing evangelism, the Christian presents not just "theism in general", but a specific type of theism - namely Christian theism. Among the world-religions, three (and sometimes a fourth) are included under the umbrella of "theism". In a moment we will look at Christian theism (the focus of today's post) and show how its uniqueness sets it apart as the only worldview that can be consistently presented by the Christian and withstand assault from would-be attacks. It will be proposed in today's post that Christian Theism's uniqueness in comparison to other worldviews is what it sets it apart among its would-be contenders. 

The uniqueness of Christian Theism as the mark of its genuiness and effectiveness as a worldview
Let's briefly consider the three other worldviews that people place under this general designation of "theism". 

1. Judaism. 
2. Islam.
3. Mormonism.

Now the question is, how do these proposed versions of "theism" compare to Christian theism? I would propose that unlike the other three - Christian theism's uniqueness is what sets it apart from the other three. I will show this by considering the four traits of "general theism" above and seeing how Christian theism and the other three perform.

1. God as Creator.
In the discussions we saw yesterday, God as an Eternal, changeless, spaceless, self-sufficient, all powerful, all knowing and necessary Being is the first premise of standard Theism. The "self-sufficiency" of the Eternal God - whereby God was in no need to create the universe and would not had been different if He hadn't - cannot be maintained without considering the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. The Trinititarian doctrine asserts that the Father, Son and Spirit have perpetually related with and within one another. God as One God exists with the Three Persons. A Self-relating God has no need for creation - and has maximal freedom to choose whether or not to create. None of the other worldviews claiming to be theistic contain the doctrine of the Trinity.

Hence Christian Theism, with its unique doctrine of the Trinity - alone and consistently asserts the true and living God of Theism. Within Judaism and Islam, God has no way of relating within Himself. Mormonism does not assert Monotheism (belief in One God) but is more akin to polytheism (belief in multiple Deities), with their version of the "Father" being one deities in a long line of deities. Hence Mormonism would technically not even be considered true Theism by definition. Only Trinitarian Christian Theism can consistently, reasonably and thus uniquely declare the True and living Creator God.

2. God as Eternal
In this definition of eternity is included the idea of God being a Necessary being - meaning that if God did not exist, nothing else would. To put it another way, God is His own explanation for why He exists and thus is also His own standard for what is Good, is timeless and changeless. Islam declares that "Allah" wills what is good or evil, and thus such designations are not a part of His eternal character. Judaism again asserts God as being Eternal, just like Christianity, however the fully self-relating concept of God as existing within Three-interrelating Persons is not included in Judaism's standard definition of God's eternal existence. Mormonism, again, conceives of a string of greater and lesser deities that independently are not eternal. Once more, Christian Theism most fully articulates this point of God's eternality. 

3. Providential
Can God regularly intervene in the affairs of His creation? Islam and Judaism are silent on this score. Mormonism claims a version of this intervention - however with their concept of the Deity as really being a string of "deities", the doctrine of God's intervention and preservation of history to an intended end cannot be logically and consistently maintained. 

In Christian theism, we see the Spirit of God working in the active sustaining of creation and the moving forward of history (Romans 8:21-25). The Son is also included in the preservation and holding together of all things (Colossians 1:16-17). Then the Father exercises His will to bring together whatsoever comes to pass (Ephesians 1:11). The One God of the Bible exists equally and Eternally in all three Persons, with each Person perfectly expressing the fulness of Deity and the glory of the other two Persons. To put it more clearly - God's providential involvement in Christian Theism is Highly Personal and interpersonal. This uniqueness once again sets Christian theism apart.

4. Miraculously revealing
Christian theism has been seen to be unique and  set apart from its competitors due to the unique Trinitarian nature of the One God. In this final point, the miraculous work of God and thus His revelatory activity are uniquely revealed in Christian Theism in ways unheard of in the other versions. For one thing, Judaism and Islam no nothing of an incarnation. Furthermore, both (in different ways) do not focus their belief systems around Jesus. Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ is the full revelation of God in human flesh (John 1:14). The Person of the Son has assumed flesh and truly reveals God because He is God (Colossians 2:9). Mormonism's version of Jesus assumes a body, however since they do not believe in Monotheism, the Mormon Jesus cannot be considered an incarnation of God - but only some sort of lesser deity or spiritual being. 

The second unique trait of Christian theism in regards to God's miraculous revelatory activity is the resurrection of Jesus. Islam denies Jesus ever died on the cross, and has nothing substantive to say when it comes to the resurrection. Judaism conceives of resurrection as something that will occur at the end of history, and thus the idea of any resurrection occuring beforehand is foreign to their worldview. 

Mormonism tends to focus more on alleged appearances of their version of Jesus in the Americas than his resurrection. Also, unlike the Biblical Christ, the Mormon accounts of their version of Jesus appearing in the Americas cannot be corroborated by historical investigation. Moreover, the Book of Mormon is silent on details such as the empty tomb and the discovery of such by the disciples. 

Thirdly, the Bible itself is unique in that it has verified fulfilled prophecy. Neither the Quran nor the book of Mormon has any examples. 

We could go on, but in this post we have explored Christian theism from the standpoint of its uniqueness. When engaging in dialogue with other non-Christian worldviews, we must be sure that when asserting and defending Theism - that we specify Christian Theism. 

Introducing the worldview of theism

Acts 17:23-27 "For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore whatyou worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determinedtheir appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us."

Introduction: Understanding the significance of worldview discussions (i.e how you view the world and why?) 
Anytime we discuss matters worldview, we are in effect explaining how we view the world, and why we view it as such. Worldview discussions aim to answer major questions like: 

1). Where did we come from? 
2). Why are we here? 
3). How did the moral conditions of our world arise? and 
4). Where is our world heading? Such types of questions undergird practical everyday life. 

Whenever we talk to different types of people, it is very clear in our discussions with non-Christians, the approach to such issues as truth, morality, the nature of reality and art is driven by one's worldview. Christian Apologist Doug Powell's book "Holman Quick Source Guide to Christian Apologetics" lists eight different worldviews that describe every belief system on our planet. I'll briefly define each and then zero in on the last one - which is the focus of today's post:

1). Atheism = there is no God
2). Agnosticism = we can't know there is a God or not
3). Pantheism = everything, including the universe, is Divine
4). Panentheism = All the universe is contained in the Divine (as a soul in a body), and hence the Divine and the universe are indistinguishable
5). Finite Godism = The is a god, however He is limited either in power or in goodness
6). Polytheism = belief in many gods
7). Deism = God wound up the creation, like a clock, and then left it to run on its own.
8). Monotheism (or Theism) = belief in One Personal, Eternal, Immaterial, Creator God that created all things, sustains all things and interacts with his creatures. 

The final worldview in Powell's listing, "Monotheism", will remain the focal point of today's study. Monotheism ("mono" = "one" and "theism" meaning "God") will be from hereon described as "Theism", since in theological and philosophical discussion, to be a "theist" is in most cases refering to "monotheism" and vice-versa. 

Why "theism" in general, and "Christian theism" in particular are relevant to the Christian?
Today's post aims to understand what is meant when we talk about "Thiesm" and more specifically, "Christian Theism". The reason why this is so important for the Christian is due to the need to communicate the Gospel to unbelievers and to answer the objections raised by critics of Christianity - specifically the so-called "New Atheism". Christianity rests upon the New Testament's presentation and explanation of the arrival, ministry, death and ressurection of Jesus of Nazareth. New Testament passages such as John 1:14 and 1 Timothy 3:16 assert that Jesus is no less than the incarnation and revelation of the True and living God of the Old Testament. Christianity's focal point is Jesus Christ and He being truly God and truly man. Without consideration of Christian theism, the Old and New Testaments are rendered unintelligible and all that Jesus claimed to be and achieved cannot be grasped apart from this fundamental truth of Christian theism. 

Before we talk about Christian theism in particular, let's first define what we mean by "theism" in general. 

Defining Theism in general
The word "theism" derives from the Greek word translated "God", namely -"theos". Simply put - a "theist" is a person who asserts belief in God. It is interesting to note how much "theists" and "theism" are discussed among Christian and secular literature. Two examples will suffice to demonstrate this point and also to expand upon what is meant by the worldview of "theism". 

First, Christian Apologists Norman Geisler and Peter Bocchino in their book: "Unshakable Foundations", page 60, offer the following explanation of general theism: "They (theists) believe in the existence of God and see His existence as an essential component of the theistic worldview. Theists are convinced that the universe had a supernatural First Cause who is infinitely powerful and intelligent. An infinite God is both beyond and manifests Himself in the universe. This God is a personal God, separate from the world, who created the universe and sustains it. Theists believe that God can act within the universe in a supernatural way." 

Secondly, The Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Volume 8, page 97, offers a similar definition of theism to that of Geisler/Bocchino (mind you, the Encyclopedia was written 30 years prior to Geisler/Bocchino): "signifies belief in one God (theos) who is (a) personal, (b) worthy of adoration, (c) separate from the world but (d) continuously active in it."

If we were to summarize these two definitions of theism, we can say the following:

1). God is the Creator. Theists in the strictist theological and philosophical definition believe there is One God that by nature is an immaterial, all intelligent mind that is infinite in His abilities, perfectly good and the Creator of the universe.

2). God, the Creator, Eternally self-sufficient and thus distinguished from the universe, His creation. This One God necessarily exists - meaning that He is His own explanation for His own existence, is uncaused and exists with or without the universe. The universe, on the other hand, requires this One God for its existence and thus had a beginning. Hence, the God of Theism is to be distinguished from the universe.

3). The One Creator God, Eternally Self-Sufficient, guides all things by His Providence. This One God of Theism who is the infinite, personal Creator can and chooses to interract with the universe He made. This same God also sustains the universe and guides it to its intended end - to make visible and plain His infinite perfection (i.e His glory). All of these activities fit under what theologians call God's "providence". In other words, "providence" refers to God's "foresight" and exercise of His power in guiding all that He has made to His intended end. This practically expresses how the universe and life itself contains meaning and has purpose. 

4). One Creator God, Eternally self-sufficient and Providential, can also intevene and reveal Himself miraculously. Since this One God of Theism is the Creator who Providentially guides the universe and all of history to their intended end, we can add that this implies the possibility of the miraculous in the universe. A miracle is an infrequent act of God whereby He enhances or alters the known physical laws in a religiously significant context to make known His specific will and identity. 

Therefore we see "general theism" or "theism in general" predicated upon four key truths about God: 

1). Creator 
2). Eternal 
3). Providential 
4). Miraculously revealing.

Ingredients for Godly living

1 Corinthians 4:1 "Let a man regard us in this manner, asservants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God."

Introduction:

We live our lives before men and before God. A Christian's speech will not be given audience until they first have demonstrated that they have actions to back up their claims. I can recall my dad working at a company among non-Christian people. Except on rare occassions, none of the other employees gave him the time of day until roughly 1 year into the experience. They knew he was a Christian - however so many other people making such claims had turned out to be poor examples. God in His grace had enabled my dad to gradually gain their respect, and in time they would seek him out for counsel and advice. Godly living is so crucial in a godless world. The Apostle Paul was attempting to convey to his readers the ingredients necessary for Godly living and ministry. Such ingredients were vital - since Paul aimed to be an example among a people who questioned his ministry and people who were trying to undermine what God was doing at the church of Corinth. Today's post aims to list out in short order five ingredients necessary for Godly living.

1. Servant's heart. 1 Corinthians 4:1

In this opening verse of 1 Corinthians 4:1, Paul tells his readers to regard he and his companions as "servants of Christ". The Greek word translated "servant" brings to mind an "under-rower". These slaves were in the bottoms of galley ships, chained  to the floors and were situated in rows of benches - rowing in unison to provide propulsion to the Roman ships. If the ship went down - so did they. A servant of Jesus Christ in this manner will serve Him no matter what. So to be Godly, we must have a servant's heart. Notice secondly...

2. Stewardship of faithfulness. 1 Corinthians 4:1

In this instance we are not speaking only of the handling of tithes and offerings (although such practices fit under the principle laid out in this text). On  broader level, we are speaking of how the godly person views their life relative to God. In Jesus Christ I am taken out of ownership and put into management. How well are you and I taking care of what God has given us? Godliness includes being a good steward of the sphere of influence He has given us. So to be Godly, we must have a servant's heart, be stewards, then thirdly...

3. Awareness of God. 1 Corinthians 4:2-4

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 4:2-4 "In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. 3 But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or byany human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. 4 For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord." The last phrase of verse 4 brings together everything we have said thus far - namely "the one who examines me is the Lord". To know that I am in God's presence and that He knows every thought I say, every word I speak changes (or at least should affect) how I live my life. Walking with God entails cultivating a continual awareness of Him. You and I may not consciously think of the oxygen we breath. However if the amount of it were to alter - we would notice! To know that He is the source of my strength (Nehemiah 8:10) and to know He never leaves me nor forsakes me (Hebrews 13:5) enables me to walk out the Godly life. So in Godly living, I aim to serve, be a good steward and cultiivate an awareness of His presence. Notice what else is needed for Godly living....

4. Eternal perspective. 1 Corinthians 4:5-6

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 4:5-6  "Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God. 6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other." Why do we sometimes find ourselves wanting to get out of the saddle so-to-speak? One word - impatience. Like the little child who cannot see beyond their nose - Christians get impatient in their walks with God. We use this world as our reference point - rather than God. Henry Blackaby has often noted how the Christian life is to be radically oriented around God. As we seek first His Kingdom - all other things will be added in their proper order and time (see Matthew 6:33). 

Patience comes with proper perspective. An eternal perspective on things understands that the rate of circumstances is exactly the way God wants them. Focusing on the things above gives perspective as to how to live out among the things here below (see Colossians 3:1-3). So to be Godly, I need to serve, be a steward, be aware of God and have an eternal perspective. Now lets notice one final trait....

5. Dependance on God. 1 Corinthians 4:7

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 4:7 "For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?" If we would see our selves as insufficient - and Christ as all sufficient - so would end our preoccupation with ourselves. Human autonomy is a lie, for only One is Autonomous, Self-sufficient and the source of His own being - God. Everything in our lives has been granted directly or indirectly by God. Godly living embraces this principle. 

Thus to realize that I own nothing is to have everything. To enjoy everything in life means that I own nothing. This is not a word-play - this is Gospel truth! Godly people find competiveness and comparison with other people to be a waste of time. God and God alone is their source. Would it be in my pursuit of Godliness that service to Him, stewardship, awareness of Him, eternal perspective and dependance upon Him be found in increasing measure.