Category: Theology

What is God’s Glory?

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In a recent class on Wednesday nights, I have a friend who asked an interesting question: “What is God’s Glory?” Admit it, that’s not really an easy question to answer. I always sense that it was ascribing to God the honor due him, that he is worthy of our worship, praise and obedience.

If you spend much time in church, you hear God’s glory mentioned all the time. Contemporary songs and classic hymns celebrate God’s glory. Many worship traditions include the Gloria Patri: “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit…” Preachers tell us we should seek to glorify God in all we do. In the Reformed tradition, the catechism reminds us that the chief purpose of our lives is “to glorify God and enjoy him forever.”

But, have you ever wondered what the glory of God really is? When we speak of God’s glory, what are we talking about? How do you answer my friend’s question?

According to theologian Millard Erickson, the Hebrew word for “glory” refers to a perceivable attribute (an individual’s display of splendor, wealth and pomp), but in relation to God, it does not point to a particular attribute, but rather to the greatness of God’s entire nature.

Ezekiel 10:4 helps us to get a glimpse of and understand God’s glory: “Then the LORD’s glory rose from above the winged creatures and moved toward the temple’s threshold. The temple was filled with the cloud, and the courtyard was filled with the brightness of the LORD’s glory.” The word translated here as “glory” is kabod in Hebrew. This word comes from a root with the basic meaning of “heavy.” From this root word came a word meaning “rich.” Ancient Hebrews would refer to a rich person as “heavy in wealth” much as we might say someone is loaded. The literal sense of kabod also included being loaded with power, reputation, or honor. It’s from this use of the word that we get the meaning of glory.

So, God’s glory is God’s weightiness in wonderful qualities such as might, beauty, goodness, justice, worthiness and honor. When it comes to these characteristics and so many others, God has them in superabundance.

When we think of God’s glory, we remember that God has all good things in greater quantity and quality than we can ever imagine. Notice, also, that God’s glory is solid and substantial. It isn’t mere reputation. It isn’t dependent on anyone or anything else. God’s glory reflects his essential nature.

Yet the notion of heaviness does not fully convey the glory of God. In fact, if we equate God’s glory with heaviness, we might miss an essential quality of his glory. Look again at Ezekiel 10:4. God’s glory is not like a giant rock that sits there passively because it is so large it cannot do anything else. Rather, God’s glory shines like the sun.

In fact, if we’re looking for an image to represent the glory of God, the sun is a strong candidate. For one thing, the sun is the heaviest object in our solar system (with a weight estimated at more than a hundred times that of the earth). But, of course, the sun doesn’t just sit there. It is continuously active, burning so fiercely that it lights and warms the earth, which is about 93 million miles away.

The similarity between God’s glory and the sun is found in Scripture. Consider the promise of Isaiah 60:19: “The sun will no longer be your light by day, nor will the moon shine for illumination by night. The LORD will be your everlasting light; your God will be your glory.” This promise comes true in the vision of the heavenly city found in Revelation 21:23: “The city doesn’t need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because God’s glory is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb.”

In the New Testament, the Greek word for “glory” is doxa, which conveys the meaning of brightness, splendor, magnificence and fame. Check out how it is used in the New Testament:

  1. Jesus prays that the Father would glorify him as he had glorified the Father (John 17:1-5)
  2. We see his glory at the resurrection (Acts 3:13-15, 1 Peter 1:21)
  3. We see it at the glorious second coming of Jesus (Matthew 24:30)

You and I are called to live our lives in the light of God’s glory. We do so when we acknowledge his glory in worship, and when we live worshipfully each moment, reflecting the glory of God in the world.

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Is God Good All the Time?

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Last week in my Wednesday class we discussed the topic of being ransomed by God, out of Hebrews 9:11-28. To fully appreciate the work of Christ on the cross, we must understand the concepts of: satisfaction for sin, substitution for sin, propitiation, redemption, reconciliation, God’s love and holiness over against our human sinfulness that brings God justice and wrath.

God is love, yet cannot be in the presence of or condone our sin; so the wrath of God is consistent with his justice. This is the problem of forgiveness. God loves us and desires to forgive, but He cannot just let our sin go unpunished, which brings in God’s justice.

On the cross, God drew mankind to himself. Hebrews 7:25 states, “He (Christ) is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him” (NASB). The teaching of this verse is that Christ saves us to forever, not just in length of time, but in the concept of wholeness, perhaps meaning “completely” or “totally” or “fully.” Forever here can also refer to the function of Christ as the High Priest forever, as the writer leads toward in Hebrews 7:26. There is no longer a need for repeated sacrifices, Christ died once for all (Hebrews 7:27, 9:12, 26, 10:2, 10, 1 Peter 3:18).

But today, the question is, Christ saves us from what forever? I believe He saves us from being “cut off” from the kindness of God. Check out Romans 11:22 where the Bible says, “Behold the kindness [or goodness] and severity of God” (NASB). Paul goes on to identify in the very next phrase the people who are “cut off” from God’s kindness (“those who fell” or “disobeyed” – those who are not in Christ), and those who continue in God’s kindness (“to you” – those who are in Christ). He states point blank that there are two options, either to experience God’s kindness or to be cut off. Being cut off from God’s kindness is a very severe thing (Paul uses the imperative word behold).

In Zambia there is a popular saying that, “God is good, all the time” and “all the time, God is good.” I have come to realize that this is only a partial truth; God is good all the time … to those who come to Him by Christ. Those who refuse Christ are “cut off” from God’s goodness, (which btw, to be “cut off” from the goodness of God is the biblical definition of hell). Hell is not Dante’s version of a sadomasochist Creator who tortures sinners. Biblical hell is a prison where lawbreakers are cut off from the Creator’s goodness. Once goodness is removed, only evil remains.

So, where do you stand? Are you in or out? Are you experiencing God’s kindness or are you cut off?

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Ready for Some Theology?

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The other day I stood on my front porch with two Jehovah’s Witnesses. Many people turn out the lights, draw the curtains and ignore the knock on the door, but I like to engage them in conversation. It is only after these types of conversations that I can gain insight into their thoughts on biblical teaching. And besides, if they are on my porch, they are not down the street confusing my neighbors.

I countered with a declaration that I was a Jesus’ Witness, based on Acts 1:8 (Jesus speaking, not Jehovah). Any conversation with must get back to who Jesus is, because if we can’t agree on who Jesus is, it is a moot point on where the kingdom is going to be.

The main debate with the guys on my porch is that they believe the Trinity is a man-made doctrine. They believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that Jesus is a god (their translation of John 1:1), that he is a created being. So, for them, Jesus is not the everlasting and eternal God. It is true that the word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, but evidence for the reality of the Trinity is compelling.

Teaching on the Trinity:

The Trinity means the unity of three persons in one Godhead; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Shema states that God is one (Deuteronomy 6:4) and the Bible ascribes divinity to Father, Son and Holy Spirit. My JW friends on the porch appear to be OK with polytheism (that Jesus was A god, but not THE God).

Outline of the Trinitarian Argument:

  1. God is one. Unity is ascribed to him.
  2. The Father is divine: a distinct person.
  3. The Son is divine: a distinct person.
  4. The Holy Spirit is divine: a distinct person.
  5. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are classed together, separately from all other beings.

Details of the Trinitarian Argument:

  1. God is one: Exodus 20:3, Deuteronomy 4:35, 39, 6:4 1 Samuel 2:2, 2 Samuel 7:22, 1 Kings 8:60, 2 Kings 19:15, Nehemiah 9:6, Psalm 86:10, Isaiah 44:6-8, 45:22, Jeremiah 10:10, Joel 2:27, Zechariah 14:9, Mark 12:29, John 17:3, Romans 1:21-23, 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, Galatians 3:20, Ephesians 4:6, 1 Timothy 2:5.
  2. The Father is divine and a distinct person: The word “Father” is used in the Scriptures in a two-fold sense in relation to the Godhead: sometimes as equivalent to God, sometimes to the first person of the Trinity.
    1. Passages where “Father” is used as equivalent to God, not implying personal distinctions: Deuteronomy 32:6, 2 Samuel 7:14, 1 Chronicles 29:10, Psalm 89:26, Isaiah 63:16, Jeremiah 3:19, Malachi 2:10, Matthew 6:9, Mark 11:25, Luke 12:30, John 4:21, 23, 24, 2 Corinthians 6:18, Philippians 4:20, James 1:17, 1 John 2:15, 16.
    2. Passages applied to God in contrast with Christ, denoting a special relation to Christ as Son, in his office of Redeemer: Psalm 2:1-11, Matthew 11:27, 25:34, Mark 8:38, 14:36, John 5:18-23, 26, 27, 10:15, 30, 17:1, Acts 2:33, Romans 15:6, 1 Corinthians 8:6, 15:24, 2 Corinthians 11:31, Galatians 1:1-4, Ephesians 1:2, 3, 4:5, 6, Philippians 1:2, 1 Thessalonians 3:11, 13, 2 Thessalonians 2:16, 1 Timothy 1:2, 2 Timothy 1:2, Titus 1:4, Philemon 1:3, 1 Peter 1:2, 3, 2 Peter 1:17, 1 John 1:3, 4:14, Jude 1:1, Revelation 3:21.
  3. The Son is divine and a distinct person apart from the Father.
    1. Christ is pre-existent, the Son existed as a distinct person before he came into the world: Micah 5:2, John 8:56-58, 17:5, 1 Corinthians 15:47, Philippians 2:6, 7, Colossians 1:17, 1 John 1:1, Revelation 22:13, 16 (read these two together).
    2. Christ is not merely pre-existent, but the Son is pre-eminent, above all things except the Father, co-eternal with the Father: Matthew 11:27, 28:18, Luke 20:41-44, John 3:13, 31, Acts 10:36, Romans 14:9, Ephesians 1:20-22, Philippians 2:9, 10, Colossians 1:15, 17, 18, Hebrews 1:4-6, 1 Peter 3:22, Revelation 1:5 3:14.
    3. Christ is creator of the universe: John 1:3, Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 1:2, 10.
    4. Christ has divine attributes ascribed to him:
      1. Omnipotence: Isaiah 9:6, Matthew 28:18, John 10:17, 18, 11:25, 1 Corinthians 1:24, Philippians 3:21, Colossians 2:10, 2 Timothy 1:10, Hebrews 1:3, Revelation 1:8.
      2. Omnipresence (albeit suspended during the incarnation): Matthew 18:20, 28:20, Ephesians 1:23
      3. Eternity: Micah 5:2, John 1:1, Revelation 1:8.
      4. Omniscience: Matthew 11:27, Luke 10:22, John 2:24, 25, 21:17, Acts 1:24, Colossians 2:3, Revelation 2:23.
      5. The divine name is applied to him as to no other being except the Father, implying supreme divinity: Psalm 102:24, 25, Hebrews 1:8-10, Isaiah 7:14, 9:6, Malachi 3:1, Matthew 1:23, John 1:1, 20:28, Acts 20:28, Romans 9:5, Ephesians 5:5, Philippians 2:6, Colossians 2:9, Titus 1:3, 2:13, Hebrews 1:8-10, Psalm 102:24, 25, 2 Peter 1:1, 1 John 5:20, Revelation 17:14, 19:16.
      6. He is shown in the Scriptures as the object of religious worship: Matthew 2:11, 14:33, 15:25, 28:16, Luke 24:52, John 5:23, Acts 7:59, 60, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 2,Corinthians 12:8, 9, Galatians 1:5, Philippians 2:10, 1 Thessalonians 3:11, 12, 2 Timothy 4:18, Hebrews 1:6, Psalm 97:7, 2 Peter 3:18, Revelation 5:13.
  4. The Holy Spirit is divine and a distinct person from the Father and the Son.
    1. The Holy Spirit is divine, called the Spirit of the Father, the Spirit of the Son, the Holy Spirit, the
      Spirit of truth, the Spirit of life: Genesis 1:2, 6:3, Nehemiah 9:30, Isaiah 63:10, Ezekiel 36:27, 28, Acts 2:16, 17, Joel 2:28, Matthew 10:20, Luke 12:12, John 14:16, 17, 15:26, Acts 5:3, 4 28:25, Romans 8:14, 1 Corinthians 3:16, Galatians 4:6, Ephesians 1:13, 1 Thessalonians 4:8, Hebrews 2:4, 1 Peter 1:2,
    2. The Holy Spirit is distinct from Father and Son, and is personal, (the personal pronoun HE applied to him with personal acts ascribed to him): Matthew 3:16, 17, 28:19, Mark 1:10, 11, Luke 3:21, 22, John 14:26, 15:26, 16:13, Acts 13:2, 4, 15:28, Romans 8:26, 1 Corinthians 12:11.
    3. The Holy Spirit has converting and regenerating power ascribed to him: Nehemiah 9:20, Isaiah 44:3, Ezekiel 36:26, 27, 37:14, Joel 2:28, Matthew 3:11, John 3:5, 6, 14:26, Acts 9:31, Romans 8:9, 11, 14, 1 Corinthians 6:11, 2 Corinthians 1:22 5:5, Galatians 4:6, 5:22, Ephesians 1:13, 3:16, 1 Thessalonians 1:6, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 1:2, 1 John 3:24, Revelation 22:17.
  5. The Father, Son, and Spirit are classed together, separately from all other beings, as divine: Matthew 28:19, Romans 8:9, 14-17, 2 Corinthians 13:14, 1 Peter 1:2, Jude 1:20, 21.
  6. Result of the biblical evidence in respect to the divinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
    1. That the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are personally distinguished from each other, yet there is recognized
      throughout the Bible a personal relationship of the Father and Son to each other, and with the Holy Spirit to both.
    2. They each have divine names and attributes.
    3. Yet there is only one God. Polytheism is rejected.

Devotion on the Trinity: A friend of mine wrote this (Joel Sutton)

“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” – Matthew 3:16-17

The baptism of Jesus is a well-choreographed portrayal of how the Trinity interacts with each other. The Almighty speaks from above, the Source of ultimate authority in the spiritual world. He speaks as the Father, showing He’s the one in charge. The Spirit then wings from the heavens down toward the earth. He symbolizes the transfer of power and authority to Jesus. The Spirit shows that he’s the means of empowerment. Then you have Jesus, dripping wet. He demonstrates beautifully the submissiveness of his role as Son.

This is how things always function with the three members of the Trinity. The Father wasn’t down on the earth. The Spirit didn’t send the Father. Jesus wasn’t speaking from heaven. The Father didn’t die on the cross; the Son did. The Spirit brings glory to the Son and not vice versa.

What does this set-up have to do with you? It’s how you experience the marvels of salvation. Jesus paid the price for your sins by submitting himself to a horrendous death by crucifixion. When you accept Jesus as your Savior, you have opened up yourself to the Spirit. He is the means by which you receive everything you need for the Christian life. The Father is ready to supply all the resources necessary for experiencing a victorious life.

The Father has His role, the Spirit knows what he’s to do, and Jesus is the one and only Savior. Each member of the Trinity is doing everything possible to rescue you from sin. Are you cooperating?

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Dealing with Disasters in Life

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Kim is visiting her mom in weather-torn Alabama. I assume that many of you watched last week the story which unfold as killer tornadoes swept across the southern states. Don’t forget about the deadly fires that consumed millions of acres and destroyed lives in Texas.

Here’s the question, one which most Christians wonder about, but are sometimes afraid to ask: “God, where are you in all these catastrophes? Couldn’t you have simply spoken a word to still the tornadoes and quench the fires?”

And then there is THE question behind all others: “If God is all-powerful and loving, then why didn’t He stop the tragedies from happening? So He must either not be all-powerful, or not loving, end of story.”

When people experience calamity and heartbreak, is that the end of their story? Consider a man named Job in the Old Testament. He endured an onslaught of disasters that would have driven most people to despair. Try to put yourself into his world as you read about the tornado of adversity that stormed through every area of his life; he lost his business, family, future, kids, (check it out in Job 1:13-16). He was having a very bad day.

Things continued to spiral downward following these events. Job lost his health, was accused by his friends of being the sinner responsible for his losses, and though he valiantly kept his faith through nearly all the ordeal, the haunting questions about God’s goodness and love consumed his thoughts:

“How I wish we had an arbitrator
to step in and let me get on with life—
To break God’s death grip on me,
to free me from this terror so I could breathe again.
Then I’d speak up and state my case boldly.
As things stand, there is no way I can do it” (Job 9:33-35).

In effect, Job is saying, “God, I’d like to meet you in court so you can stand trial for not stopping the disasters. Either you are not all-powerful or not loving, so which is it?”

Much to Job’s surprise, God answers with a hurricane force series of questions that all fit under the category of “Are YOU talking to ME, Job?” It’s not that God was being cruel or evasive, but the answer to our question lies in another question, which is, “Is God in charge or not?”

The answer is a resounding YES, God is in charge! And because I can hold on to this truth like a ship’s mast in a violent storm, I can be sure that by allowing trials in my life He is acting in the most loving way possible for my ultimate good. It is not only possible but absolutely true that our all-powerful God allows tribulations because He is forming us into Christ’s image and has to tell a story of His love for the world, and the salvation of humanity.

That’s why He boldly declares this truth:

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).

When we are walking through the storms of life and feel like innocent victims in this broken, fallen and sometimes evil world, it is easy to only be aware of the pain and loss, but we can trust and be certain that above the dark clouds is a loving Father who will redeem all evil and reshape it into His perfect plan.

Remember also that pain and trial are instruments that God can use to reach people who are far from Him. As C. S. Lewis brilliantly stated:

“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

God is all-powerful and loving. Let’s trust in His plan and share the most powerful and loving message ever proclaimed, the Good News about Jesus Christ, the One who will “wipe every tear from our eyes and make all things new!” (Revelation 21:4).

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Are All Sins Equally Bad?

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The question comes from skeptics and believers alike, “Are all sins really equal in God’s eyes?” It is common within evangelical circles to say that they are. The smallest white lie and the most brutal murder both nailed Jesus to the cross; he died for all sins. Most people may find this theological concept very appealing and accept it without doing much homework. I think this is true for two reasons:

  1. A reaction by Protestants against the Roman Catholic distinction between mortal sins (sins that are grievous) and venial sin (sins of a lesser nature).
  2. A tendency within our church culture to find a way to say that we are all equally in need of God’s grace and that all sin is extremely serious in God’s eyes (which is true).

After a little research, I don’t believe that all sin is equal in God’s sight. I also believe that telling people all sins are equal does damage to the character of God and the seriousness of certain sins. There are several reasons for this:

Think about it:

What if people lived according to this theology?

  1. If all sin is equal in the sight of God, then His anger will be equal for whatever sin we commit.
  2. How would it affect our relational disposition before God?
    1. If we suffer from the conviction of the Holy Spirit for all sins equally, our conscious getting weighed down by unrepentant sin will become confusing.
    2. This weighing down normally only comes from those sins that we perceive to be more severe. But if all sin is equal in the sight of God and one lived according to that theology, we would be just as troubled and just as repentant each time we exceeded the speed limit as when we commit adultery, steal the last loaf of bread from a starving family, or abuse children.
  3. But no one does this. We all see speeding down the road as a minor infraction because our conscious bears witness that it is not as bad as other things.

What Does the Bible Say?

I think that it is biblical and necessary to say that some sins are more grievous in the sight of God than others. This also translates into the assumption that some people are sinners to a greater degree than others. There are many instances in the Scriptures where degrees of sin are distinguished.

  1. Jesus tells Pilate that the Jewish leaders have committed a worse sin than him, saying “he who has handed me over to you has committed the greater sin” (John 19:11).
  2. Certain sins in the law are distinguished in a particular context as an abomination to God, implying that others are not as severe (as in Leviticus 18:22, Deuteronomy 7:25, 23:18, Isaiah 41:24).
  3. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is set apart as a more severe sin than blasphemy of the Son (Matthew 12:31).
  4. Proverbs 6:16-19 lists particular sins in such a way as to single them out because of their depraved nature, separating them from others.
  5. There are degrees of punishment in hell depending on the severity of the offense (Luke 12:47-48).
  6. Jesus says of the Pharisees, “You strain out a gnat while you swallow a camel” (Matthew 23:24). If all sins are equal, Christ’s rebuke does not make any sense.
  7. Jesus also talked about the “weightier things of the law” (Matthew 23:23). If all sins are equal, there is no law (or violation of that law) that is weightier than others. They are all the same weight.

Where Do We Get Our Theology?

So where does this faulty theology come from? Many people might refer to Christ’s comments in the Sermon on the Mount as justification for this way of thinking, or perhaps that verse in James.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘you shall not commit adultery;” but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:27-28).

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. (James 2:10)

Is there a difference in the eyes of God between thinking about adultery and actually doing it? Absolutely. If we say anything other than this, we do damage to God’s character and encourage the act based upon the thought of it. The point Jesus makes in Matthew 5:28 is not that lust and the actual act are equal, but that they both violate the same commandment. He was telling all people (particularly the religious leaders of the day) who thought they were safe because they had fulfilled the letter of the law that the law runs much deeper. The spirit of the law is what matters.

  1. If you have ever lusted, you have broken the sixth commandment (Matthew 5:28).
  2. If you have ever hated your brother, you have broken the fifth commandment (Matthew 5:22).

James is telling us that whatever the sin, no matter how small a sinner you believe yourself to be, that tiny sin still put Jesus on the cross to pay the debt.

The breaking of the principles of the commandment is the issue, not the degree to which it is broken.

Absurdity in Action:

If we believe that adultery and lust are equal in the sight of God, then here are the logical results:

  1. Any man or woman can justify divorce based upon the fact that Christ condemns divorce except for marital infidelity (Matthew 5:32). All they need to do is make the assumption that their spouse has lusted to some degree during their marriage.
  2. If a man were to lust after a woman on the Internet, he might as well commit the actual act, since in God’s eyes he already has.
  3. If you have ever lusted after a girl, then you should marry her since in God’s eyes you are one with her (1 Corinthians 6:16).

I think that this way of thinking is not only wrong biblically, but it also has repercussions that lead to a distorted worldview and it discredits the integrity of God.

It is true that all people are sinners; all the way since birth. But not all sin is equal. I think that it is safe to say that while not all people sin to the same degree, we all share in an equally depraved nature.

Early Christian Heresies

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My Bible study group on Sundays has been going through Second Peter for the past several weeks. In chapter two we get a pretty good description of the false teachers that crept into the church (2 Peter 2:1). I believe that people are easily led astray by persuasive arguments when they fail to develop a first hand faith (Colossians 2:4, 5, Acts 18:4, 19:8, 26:28, 28:24, 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, Galatians 5:7-9). Faith that is built upon convictions will not be moved, whereas a second hand faith can be tossed around by the waves (James 1:6).

Second hand faith looks like this: I believe that Jesus is the Savior because my preacher says so. My parents taught me that the Bible is the Word of God. My Sunday School teacher told me to stay away from this sin or that belief.

First hand faith develops a conviction that will not be persuaded when we get a knock on the door and are told that there is another testament of Jesus Christ in North America. First hand faith will not fall when someone reads books from authors like Richard Dawkins, who teach that God is only a delusion.

So, let’s take a look at some of the heresies that threatened the early church:

Most of the eyewitnesses to Jesus’ ministry had died by the time John composed this letter. Some of the second- or third-generation Christians began to have doubts about what they had been taught about Jesus. Some Christians with a Greek background had a hard time believing that Jesus was human as well as divine, because in Platonic thought the spirit was all-important. The body was only a prison from which one desired to escape. Heresies developed from a uniting of this kind of Platonic thought and Christianity.

A particularly widespread false teaching, later called Docetism (from a Greek work meaning “to seem”) held that Jesus was actually a spirit who only appeared to have a body. In reality he cast no shadow and left no footprints; he was God, but not man.

Another heretical teaching, related to Gnosticism (from a Greek word meaning “knowledge”) held that all physical matter was evil, the spirit was good, and only the intellectually enlightened could enjoy the benefits of religion. Both groups found it hard to believe in a Savior who was fully human.

John answers these false teachers as an eyewitness to Jesus’ life on earth. He saw Jesus, talked with him, touched him, he knew that Jesus was more than a mere spirit (1 John 1:1, 2, 3). In the very first sentence of his gospel, John establishes that Jesus had been alive before the world began (John 1:1) and also that he lived as a man among men and women (John 1:14). In other words, he was both divine and human. That’s the incarnation; that’s what Christmas is all about.

Through the centuries, many heretics have denied that Jesus was both God and man. In John’s day people had trouble believing he was human; today more people have problems seeing him as God. But Jesus’ divine-human nature is the pivotal issue of Christianity; 100 percent God, 100 percent man, not half and half. Before you accept what religious teachers say about any topic listen carefully to what they believe about Jesus. To deny either his divinity or his humanity is to consider him less than Christ, the Savior (1 John 4:2, 2 John 1:7).

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What Defines You as a Believer?

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Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthian church to help instruct the new church on what it means to be a follower of Jesus. One topic he addressed is the problem of division among the Christians in Corinth. For whatever reason, these believers were not getting along, and were dividing up into little cliques rather than living as the unified church of Jesus Christ. Take a look at this passage:

I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters. Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:10-12)

One of the central factors for their disunity in Corinth was the tendency of these new and therefore immature believers to bring into the church elements of their culture that were inconsistent with the Christian life. For instance, in their previous “pagan” experience they were led into “religious mysteries” by a special person designated as a spiritual guide. They strongly identified with this mentor as their doorway into “the divine.” For others, certain Corinthian converts may have studied with a certain philosopher whose teaching and personality defined their intellectual and moral lives. So it felt natural for the Corinthian Christians to identify themselves according to the one who introduced them to Christ, perhaps Paul, Apollos, or Peter. But they must have been extremists because they seemed to define themselves in terms of the old human mentoring relationship, which was threatening the unity of the Christian community in Corinth.

Are we so much unlike them? For some people, denominational identity (or nondenominational identity) says who we really are as Christians. For others, it is our theological position or perhaps the teaching of our favorite theologian. Denominational or theological distinctions aren’t necessarily wrong, but they are harmful when they threaten our unity in Christ. If I let my identity as a Baptist become so elevated that it threatens my relationship with Methodists or Presbyterians, then I am falling into the same Corinthian trap. We have our theological differences based on interpretation of Scripture, but our identity in Christ brings unity. My identity as a Christian is my relationship with Jesus Christ. Everything else pales in comparison to this essential fellowship, through which we are bound to others who have put their trust in Christ.

On Facebook, they give the opportunity to display one’s religious preference. On questionnaires there may be a question asking the same. How often do people use the word “Christian” when asked their religious preference, rather than Catholic, Baptist, or nondenominational?

How do you define yourself as a Christian? How important to you are denominational labels? Have you ever identified so thoroughly with some Christian leader that it threatened your relationship with other believers? How can we be unified in Christ when we who have put our faith in Jesus differ theologically?

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Christian Theology According to Horton

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It takes me a while before I see most movies; I generally wait for them to come out on DVD! I saw Horton Hears a Who this past week and needed to share my theological insights that I see in the movie. Bottom line for me, it’s about being faithful to your beliefs. This is a long post so pace yourself, but you might find this interesting and might use it for teaching at some point:

Horton seems to have a bigger picture of the universe and his place in it: The kangaroo leader of the community tells him, “There are no people that small.” Horton then responds with a philosophical question, “Maybe they’re not small, maybe we’re big, no wait, think about it. What if there is someone really big looking down on our world and to them, we’re the speck?”

Horton is confronted with an evolutionist, naturalist worldview: The kangaroo continues, “Horton, there is nothing on that speck… if you can’t see, hear or feel something, it doesn’t exist. And believing in tiny imaginary people is just not something we do or tolerate here in the jungle.”

If you’re small and can’t defend yourself, we can get rid of you: The kangaroo calls the Who’s in Whoville “imaginary people on a speck.” – considering my pro-life position, I see this as a naturalistic pro-choice stance on abortion, it is not a baby inside the womb, a fetus is not a little person. You can’t see, hear or touch it, so they don’t exist, and therefore expendable.

Religious ideas and language can be dangerous: The kangaroo believes that ideas which go contrary to her worldview are dangerous. “I do not want you poisoning the minds of the children with this nonsense.”

Horton as a higher being talks with the lower beings: Horton talks to the mayor (as God did with Noah, “build me an ark” or Abraham, “go to a land that I will show you”)… Horton says, “I knew there was life on this speck” to which the mayor replies, “What speck? I’m sorry to say this O voice from the drain pipe, but I live in Whoville.” Horton’s perspective is, “Then Whoville is a speck.”

Mankind seeks to identify a higher power: The mayor questions Horton on his identity, “Ok, Horton, where are you?” Then Horton replies, “I guess from where you’re standing, I’m in the sky. Compared to you, I’m enormous. Your whole world fits on a flower in my world.” Imagine God saying the same thing to us.

People seek to understand their place in the universe: The mayor tries to understand the grand scheme of their situation. Horton says, “We come from completely different worlds but some how we managed to make contact. Is everything OK down there?” to which the mayor replies, “You tell me, you’re the one holding the speck!”

The enemy desires to force God’s people into silence: The kangaroo threatens Horton to hand over that clover. Horton says, “No, there are people on this speck, and a person is a person no matter how small.” This angers the kangaroo, “You just crossed the line Horton, and I’m gonna make you pay.” – I see this as Horton’s declaration of being pro-life, and the naturalist establishment threatens and ridicules those who stand up for life. The kangaroo then enlists the help of the vulture to get rid of the speck and it’s tiny people, she claims she is too much of a lady to get her hands dirty. She eventually is on a crusade to kick Horton out of the jungle for his beliefs (in these small people).

Christians are to be witnesses for the truth: The mayor decides he needed to tell the people about what is going on. He declares a state of emergency and the influential council chairman (like the Pharisees) says, “Not to worry, the mayor is just being a moron.” The mayor insists that everyone is in danger and must get to safety. Let’s do this democratically. “Who wants to go ahead with the celebration as planned? Or hide in the underground storage area?” The Chairman says, “The people have spoken, no one believes you.” To which the mayor whispers, “No, Horton believes me.” “Horton? Who’s Horton?” the mayor witnesses to the fact that “Horton is a giant elephant in the sky. And he is the one risking his life to get our world to safety.” There is laughter by the people.

God seeks us to save us: The vulture who stole the clover with the speck drops this one clover in a field of same colored clover. Horton searches for and finds the one clover. Christ has come to seek and save that which is lost. He searches for the prodigal son and rejoices when one who was lost is found.

The mayor witness to the fact that Horton is the savior: Horton finally speaks and the people hear him. “It must have been rough down there. You really had me worried.” Then the Mayor says, “Friends, I would like you to meet our friend, Horton. He’s going to help us.”

The enemy fights to the very end: The kangaroo is not finished, saying, “Horton is attacking our way of life. Will we let troublemakers like Horton poison the minds of our children? When Horton tells our children about worlds beyond the jungle, he makes them question authority, which leads to defiance, which leads to anarchy.” – Our spiritual enemy wants to silence the message that we have to share, a message about life, understanding there is one greater than ourselves, caring for us and looking out for us, one to whom we are responsible for our behavior.

It is always possible to sell your soul and deny the truth: The kangaroo, in a final plea for compliance, says, “All this trouble you’re in can all go away. All you have to do is admit to everyone that there are no little people living on that speck. That you were wrong, and I was right.” I see this like Martin Luther being persecuted for his challenge to the Catholic church, where he replies, “Unless I shall be convinced by the testimonies of the Scriptures or by clear reason … I neither can nor will make any retraction, since it is neither safe nor honorable to act against conscience… Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.”

Salvation is free but we must respond in faith: To be saved, the Who’s must make noise to convince those who do not hear that they are really alive on the speck: “We have to make some noise, every Who!” They cried, “We are here, we are here.” – Remember that people are people no matter how small, and God knows every one. The call of Christ is to obedience, to do something with your faith. For the Who’s, just believing was not enough.

Persecution is waiting for those who stand up to the evil around them: Horton is finally being caged, roped and flogged, defending his speck world and the little people. The clover is taken from him to be destroyed. Horton sadly mutters, “You’re making a mistake.” – I see Christ on Good Friday, the enemy believing that he had won the victory.

The only Son of God made the difference in the salvation of the world: The voices of the Who’s finally break through: “You did it Mayor!” Then the mayor says to his only son, “Well done, son.” The son made the difference, adding his efforts to all the Who’s voices. The son responds that his father is one of the greats!

Belief and faith in God have a reward, we don’t go through this life alone: Horton says, “I’d like to thank the mayor of Whoville for believing in me from the beginning.” Then the mayor’s son says, “What will we do without you Horton?” Horton relies, “Don’t worry, I’ll always be around.” – for me this reminds me of the great commission, that Jesus is with us always.

There you have it, quotes and events from the movie with theological and social commentary.

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City of Angels

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There are quite a few movies or shows that depict people conversing with angels, if not God Himself: City of Angels, Bruce Almighty, Joan of Arcadia, Touched by an Angel, and for those who can think way back, Highway to Heaven…

 

In my Bible study class this past Sunday, we began a new series on the life of Mary, taking a fresh look at how her story can be our story… not necessarily the pregnancy thing, but how the whole event was something unexpected. The point is, how does God use unexpected events and circumstances to move us along our journey with Him? And how do we respond to His leading?

 

So, the topic of angels came up as we looked at Gabriel, God’s messenger to Mary. I happened to mention an order in the universe regarding these spiritual beings… God as the highest being, angels and then mankind. This imprecise theology was questioned with the belief that it should be God, mankind and then angels. I needed to research a bit and wanted to follow up with my findings.

 

First, a few verses… 

  • 1 Corinthians 6:3 – “Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life.”
  • Hebrews 2:7 – regarding mankind… “Yet you made them only a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.”
  • Hebrews 1.4 – “Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.”  

Ok, be sure that there is a debate over the order. Now for a few observations… 

  • On one side, angels are created beings as are humans, with limited knowledge – Matthew 24:36.
  • While limited in knowledge, they seem to possess greater knowledge than humans in some areas – like the angels that visited Lot (Genesis 19:13, they knew the city was going to be destroyed), or any messenger sent to mankind with a word from God. God never appears to use mankind to send a message to angels, suggesting a closer position.
  • Angels have an everlasting quality in their existence, unlike humans who die (at least physically).
  • Angels exist in the presence of God and serve Him, which is much better position than humans.
  • Angels have continuous access to the throne of God (yet we too have access through prayer) suggesting our position will be greater after this life.
  • Angels have power unlike humans, like to guard the entrance back into the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:24) or to engage in intimidating battle as in 2 Kings 6:16-17 (if angels are actually piloting these horses and chariots of fire).
  • On the other side, unlike humans, they are not created in the image of God, suggesting humans have a superior position – Genesis 1:26-27
  • Angels do not receive or understand salvation – 1 Peter 12, perhaps Ephesians 3:10.
  • Angels have ever been adopted as fellow heirs with Christ – Romans 8:15.  

Back to the primary verses, and a few interpretations to add to the discussion: 

  • 1 Corinthians 6:3 – We will judge angels in the next life rather than this life; so at this point it appears that we are third in the pecking order until that day when we are sinless in the presence of God.
  • Hebrews 2:7 quotes Psalm 8:5 – Psalm 8:5 uses elohim (the plural form of “god”) translating it “a little lower than the gods” or “the spiritual beings” which we call angels (KJV uses angels). Psalm 8:6 includes an image of having dominion over the earth (referring to Genesis 1:26-27). Hebrews 2:7 actually uses the word “angels.” So, perhaps the angels with continual access to God are in a better position, until we enter His presence in our glorified bodies.
  • Hebrews 1:4 – This is in context of the Son being much more superior than the angels, a no brainer, but it appears that angels are servants of God. If angels are sent to care for humans, they might be in a more favorable or powerful position.  

Bottom line, the teaching is vague at best and open to interpretation, which makes this certainly a non-essential for one’s salvation. I will not be dogmatic about it one way or the other. Any thoughts?

Who Decides Proper Christian Theology?

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This YouTube video (the Church of Oprah Exposed) is tremendously disturbing. Is this video representative of what happens when the group or community gets together and decides proper theology? Rex Miller indicates we should trust our people to be on a hero’s journey searching for truth and significance in life (my interpretation of what I heard at a recent conference), but what happens when influential people like Oprah with her “experts” and credibility redefines who Jesus is? Is there no standard anymore within the Christian community?

I see this like Dan Brown and his Da Vinci Code confirming in the minds of skeptics that Jesus really is the charlatan they always thought he was; because “now we have proof – Dan Brown’s research claims its truthfulness right on page one.” When is the print media of the Bible a true standard in this generation? Or is proper theology lost and we just have to keep diversifying the church (liberal vs. conservative, infant baptism vs. believers’ baptism, health and wealth gospel vs. theology of the cross, cheap grace vs. costly discipleship, gay bishops vs. homosexuality is a sin, etc.). While denominationalism divides the church (often times for good reason regarding non-essentials or preferences) we still can agree on who Jesus is in our foundational beliefs.

In Beauty and the Beast, the village is storming the castle in order to kill the beast. The cartoon musical has a great line, “a hundred Frenchmen can’t be wrong, so kill the beast!” Just because a larger group gets together and says Jesus is NOT only one way to get to God, doesn’t make it proper or acceptable Christian theology.

I read this article this morning in Our Daily Bread:

In his book Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business, Neil Postman warns us of the danger of a world of information overload. He reminds us of a chilling futuristic vision—Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, which describes a world thoroughly flooded with information. But that data is manipulated so that none of it has any significance.

A glance at the Internet or a magazine rack hints that we are living in just such a culture. We’re drowning in a sea of information often marketed by the unscrupulous. We need discernment to choose wisely whom we will listen to.

In John 6, Jesus delivered His “I am the bread of life” message (v.35). It was a sermon so controversial that, at its conclusion, many of His followers went away and stopped following Him (v.66). They chose to stop listening to the voice of Christ. When Jesus challenged His disciples as to whether they would also walk away, Peter wisely responded, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (v.68).

In a world swamped with confusing and contradictory information, we can, like Peter, turn to Christ for wisdom. He cuts through the words of confusion with words of life.  — Bill Crowder

So, here we are in the information age, so much information we often find ourselves in information overload (24 hour news, thousands of magazine choices, more web pages than Google can count, non-stop commercials telling us what we need in order to live a satisfying life). I wonder if the church needs to be more in the business of helping people make sense of the world around them; we need interpretation more than additional information.

Read what my friend Chuck Warnock has written on the topic.