Tag: Bible

Assurance of Salvation

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This section is part of a class that I am teaching called Discipleship 101, the Lost Art of Disciple Making, where we are going to cover the basics of the Christian faith. I have in my class those who have never been discipled as well as those who have been with Christ for a long time, but are seeking tools and strategies for helping or mentoring others toward becoming disciple makers.

This is a brief section of reasons to believe and trust, and several verses to look up, which is done easily on this site.

Assurance of Salvation
We find direct statements in God’s Word: John 5:24, 1 John 5:13, Titus 1:2

But can We Believe the Bible?
The Bible claims to be the Word of God: expressions in the Bible, like “and God said…” or “Thus says the Lord…” and “God spoke to Moses…” – Genesis 1:3, Exodus 20:1, Joshua 14:5, Luke 24:27, 44, John 10:35, Acts 1:16, 17:2, 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21

The Bible is proved to be the Word of God.

  1. Unity: recorded over 1600 years, three languages, men and women from different countries and ages, with a unified message, it is one Book.
  2. Fulfilled Prophecy: hundreds of Old Testament prophecies about Jesus, the Jews, the Gentiles.
  3. Archaeology: always proves the Bible’s story, if it hasn’t, just wait.
  4. The Test of Time: through sword and flame, atheism and paganism, cold indifference and false prophets, it’s still here.
  5. Universal Demand: the world’s bestselling book.
  6. Denunciation of Sin: evil is never tolerated, but is dealt with openly, nothing in secret, characters are recorded as fallen, never perfect (Exodus 17:5-7, Numbers 20:7-13).
  7. Power to Change Lives: George Muller of Bristol, as an example.

The Witness of the Holy Spirit – Romans 8:16.

  1. What That Means:
    1. He is a Person, not a force.
    2. He is a Trinity, co-equal with the Son and Father.
    3. We are His temple, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 1 John 4:13
  2. How This Happens:
    1. He is the believer’s teacher – John 14:26, 15:26-27, 16:12-15
    2. He is the believer’s comforter – John 14:16, paraclete, John 14:26, 15:26, 16:7
    3. He is the believer’s guide – John 16:13, to lead the way (Matthew 15:14), Romans 8:1, 14
    4. He is the believer’s helper and intercessor – Romans 8:16
  3. A New Life – Transformation, 2 Corinthians 5:17
    1. A new attitude toward sin: Romans 7:19-20, they hate it, a new heart.
    2. New desires and new friends: new primary fellowship, community and growth.
    3. Fruit of the Spirit: Galatians 5:22-23, Matthew 7:20, Acts 4:13
    4. Assurance through Christian growth: Titus 3:5, Philippians 3:14, 1 Corinthians 3:11-15

Are Miracles Possible?

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Jonah being swallowed by a great fish. Jesus feeding 5000 people with two fish and five loaves. Did these really happen? Are we to take this literally?

The whole concept of God:

The real problem is not with miracles or prophecy but with the whole concept of God. Once we assume that God actually exists, there is no problem with miracles, because by definition God is all-powerful.

God is not bound by natural laws:

The real question becomes, “Does an all-powerful God who created the universe, exist?” If He does then miracles are possible. A miracle transcends natural law which God is the author. Some people define miracle as a violation of natural law, but this definition practically deifies natural law, and God becomes a prisoner to that natural law, and in effect ceases to be God. It’s fine to believe in natural law, because we can see the usual cause and effect process at work year after year. God does not restrict His right to intervene because He is over and beyond natural law, not bound by it. Laws do not cause anything but are a description of what happens or is observed.

What is a miracle?

We generally use the term to describe anything out of the ordinary or something unexpected; however the term is used in the Bible in a different sense. Some events in the bible could have a natural explanation, like the parting of the Red Sea. High winds could have pushed the waters back, but the miraculous part was the timing. They just reached the shore, the Egyptians approaching, and all the Hebrews were able to cross on dry land.

One the other hand, there are some that do not have a natural explanation, like Lazarus being raised from the dead, or many of the physical healings (like leprosy or the man born blind). This is more than a psychosomatic situation.

Some believe that ancient people were gullible, ignorant and superstitious. Perhaps the disease they had could be explained by modern science, like demon possession could have been psychosis or epilepsy. A primitive person might see a modern jet and call it a silver bird god in the sky. But there is a problem with this perception, since many of the miracles do not fit in this category.

There is no natural explanation for the healing of a person born blind, then or today. How could anyone explain the resurrection of Jesus? One cannot get away with the supernatural aspects of the Bible.

Not in conflict with natural law:

Miracles are not in conflict with natural law! One definition of miracle is that they are unusual events caused by God; the laws of nature are generalizations about ordinary events caused by Him. Some people believe that miracles employ a higher natural law which is unknown to us. We must increase our knowledge we actually realize that the things we thought were miracles were actually higher laws of the universe, of which we were not aware at the time.

An act of creation:

On the other hand, we can view them as acts of creation. Biblical miracles are not scattered throughout the Bible randomly, but are associated with purpose. From the Exodus, through the prophets and into the time of Christ, miracles confirmed faith by authenticating the message or the messenger, or to demonstrate God’s love by relieving suffering.

Miracles are never performed for personal prestige, or to gain money or power. Jesus was tempted to do this in Matthew 4, and resisted, but He regularly used miracles to show evidence of His claims (John 14:11, John 10:25).

Why not now?

Many believe that if God would only do it today, then I would believe. But even in Jesus’ day, He dealt with this in Luke 16 in the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The kicker verse is Luke 16:31. If people have ruled out the possibility of miracles, no amount of evidence will convince them otherwise. It’s like the talking animals in the movie, Babe (1996 – the dog spoke slowly and precisely to the sheep because it was a cold fact of nature that all sheep were stupid and no one could convince him otherwise).

We have reliable records:

We don’t need miracles today because we have reliable records that tell us these miracles really happened. If miracles are capable of sensory perception, then they can be matters of recorded testimony. If they are adequately testified to, then the recorded testimony has the same validity for evidence as the same experience of beholding the event. Every court operates on the basic of reliable testimony. If an eyewitness saw and recorded the event (like Lazarus’ raised from the dead), then this witness’ testimony is as good as being at the event.

Miracles were done in public: anyone could have seen and investigated the events. Even the chief opponents of Jesus never denied the fact He could do miracles! They either attributed the event to Satan or tried to suppress the witnesses.

Miracles were performed in front of unbelievers: Jesus was no cult member that deluded his private audience, it was before unbelievers, too.

Miracles were performed over a period of time and involved a great variety of powers: power over nature (John 2:1-11), power over disease (Mark 1:29-34), power over demons (Mark 1:21-27), power with supernatural knowledge (John 1:48), power over creation (Mark 6:30-44), power over death (Mark 5:35-43).

We have testimony of the cured: lie in the case of the man born blind (John 9:25) and Lazarus (John 12:10-11).

We cannot discount biblical miracles because of the extravagant claims of pagan miracles: many pagan believe in these miracles because they already believe in the pagan religion; the Bible uses miracles to help people discover the true religion (John 20:30-31).

Pagan miracles:

These do not display the same order, dignity and motive as those found in the Bible. They do not have solid authentication of the miracle. Same can be said of miracles in our time today, they do not stand to investigation. Just because some miracles are counterfeit, does not mean all miracles are counterfeit (like discovering a few counterfeit bills does not less the authentic bills).

The question is philosophical:

The question as to whether miracles are possible is not scientific but philosophical. Science says they do not occur in the normal course of nature or observation. Science cannot forbid them because natural laws do not cause not forbid miracles. They are merely description of what happened. The only question the scientist must ask is, “Are the records of miracles historically reliable?”

Miracles in the Bible are seen as God communicating with us. The whole matter depends on our belief in the existence of God; settle that question and miracles cease to be a problem.

Is the Bible God’s Word?

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This is not the question that gets non-Christians to come to faith. Your view of the Bible is not as critical a question as where you stand with Jesus. Salvation is the issue. The Bible is God’s word whether we believe it or not. Our task is to present the claims of Christ and that the Bible is a historically reliable document. After one believes, the next question is “How did Jesus view the Bible?” Statements and claims of Scripture are not enough, but there is other information that cannot be ignored.

Beethoven was not God-breathed:

The Bible claims that it is God inspired, God breathed if you will (2 Timothy 3:15-16). This type of inspired is not the same as a musician is inspire to write his music. Biblical inspiration is unique, in that it is God-breathed. It is also not open to random interpretations (2 Peter 1:20-21), because its origin is from God. It’s not a bunch of human ideas.

The writers were also not mere writing utensils, like machines with no personality. God worked through their human personality to write just what God wanted them to write.

The prophets were constantly speaking for God (like in 2 Samuel 23:2 or Jeremiah 1:9). The words written were as if God spoke them, not the prophet (Galatians 3:8, Acts 4:24-25, Psalm 2:1). It was natural to use the phrases, “Scripture said…” and “God said…” just alike.

The New Testament writers claimed the same prophetic authority as the Old Testament writers (Matthew 11:9-15) like John was superior to the OT prophets. Paul speaks of his authority (1 Corinthians 14:37). Peter speaks of Paul’s letter on the same level as the OT Scriptures (2 Peter 3:16).

Jesus’ view of Scripture:

What did He think of it? How did He use it? That it is infallible (Matthew 5:18) meaning it will accomplish what it says it will accomplish. He quoted Scripture as the final authority, using statements like “it is written…” during the temptation story in Matthew 4:4, 10. It’s like the Scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35).

So, if we have accepted Christ it would be inconsistent to not accept the Scripture’s authority. The heart of His teaching and work are based in the OT. He would be guilty of deception if He did not believe in the authority of the OT.

Helpful definitions:

Does accepting the Word of God mean we take it literally? A definition is required. We do not take figures of speech literally (Isaiah 55:12, Psalm 114:4, 6). Those who do not take it literally mean they frequently seek to evade some of its clear intent in the words.

What does inerrancy mean? First we must not impose 21st century standard of science and history to the biblical writers. The Bible describes thing phenomenally, as they appear to be, like in sunrise and sunset. Sometimes it uses round numbers instead of precise numbers, like there were 5000 people. Some apparent errors may be errors in translation (discussed in reliable documents chapter). Sometimes problems were resolves as more information became known.

What about fulfilled prophecies? It is not like vague generalities of fortune tellers “A handsome man will enter your life.” Fulfilled prophecy with specific details is evidence that God’s word came through the prophets (Jeremiah 28:9, Deuteronomy 18:21-22). Isaiah unmasks false prophets as they predict falsely (Isaiah 41:22-23). Prophecies of the Messiah and prophecies of historical events and prophecies of the Jews are different. The suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12 and Micah 5:2), see more details on p. 69-70.

The Holy Spirit’s role:

The work of the Spirit is always toward some purpose. The Emmaus disciples had an aha moment (Luke 24:32). This same experience comes to us with the Spirit’s help.

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

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Have seen the show? Sort of humbling as they ask questions, isn’t it? Think about all of the knowledge that you have acquired over the years, and how much of it has long since been forgotten? But when you think about it, we rarely forget the wis­dom we have gained over the years. In this passage of Scripture, we read about the wisest guy who ever lived. When asked by God, “What should I give you?” (2 Chronicles 1:7), Solomon was smart enough to ask God for both wisdom and knowledge (2 Chronicles 1:10).

 

It Takes Wisdom and Knowledge

Solomon could have asked for anything he wanted, he had a blank check from God… money, power, women, world peace, a fast bass boat… but he showed that he was wise beyond his years when he recognized that he needed both wisdom and knowledge to effectively lead his people. Knowledge was not enough for him and it’s not enough for us either. A wise person uses knowledge to live properly and to live well.

 

These two prerequisites for effective leadership haven’t changed since the time of Solomon. They are timeless and they apply to leadership at any level. Regardless of your job description and title, you are a leader in some way. Leadership is simply the art and science of influencing others. Good sources of knowledge aren’t too hard to come by—you can find out about almost any subject on the Internet and what you don’t find there you can probably read in a book. Finding good sources of wisdom, however, tends to be a little more difficult.

 

Wisdom is more caught than taught. Who are the wise people that you consider your role models? What men do you know that appear to have it together in their marriage, or in raising their children, or in their career? What can you learn from them? Are you teachable? Are you willing to learn from others? How often do you claim to have it all together when just below the surface you are wounded, scared, disappointed and desperate?

 

Wisdom is a Process

When we think of various sources of wisdom, we often think of the “school of hard knocks.” Experience can be a good teacher, but a wise person prefers to learn from the good and bad experi­ences of others rather than having to learn every­thing the “hard way” himself. A wise person also reads the Bible, and when he reads, he asks God to help him truly understand what he’s reading and how to apply it. He asks God to help him see the connections between things, see the bigger picture. In other words, he asks God to make him wise.

 

Remember that wisdom is not out of reach, you just need to go to the right source, to the one who can give it to you. (James 1:5).

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You People Are Dogs!

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This is week two of the notes in my Bible study class. Week one is here.

 

We need to rediscover a faith that melts barriers. Check out Matthew 15:21-28, another tough saying of Jesus, quite disturbing, actually.

 

Some things look better on paper than they do in reality, take sushi for example. We say it’s for a sophisticated palate, food in its most natural state, but in the end it is the food itself that is the problem… it still tastes like raw fish and seaweed.

 

Christian unity may be another item on the looks-better-on-paper list. We champion it, talk about it, study it, intellectually ascend to the concept of it, yet Christian churches all across the country are divided by different issues of belief or practice or race or style of worship. Many are gathered cliques devoted to its own members.

 

If there was anyone on this planet who was open to relationships, it was Jesus. He associated with people that society called off-limits.

  • How would describe your racial biases and their sources?

The Church has only one mission… the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). He said to go (which really means “as you are going…) and He assumed that as His followers were going they would make disciples.

  • How do you view sharing the gospel as you go? What does that look like in your life?

The whole point of the gospel was to break down cultural barriers, and that’s the point of the story for today. We believe that we have a set of expectation on how Christians should act while they are on mission for God, but this story causes us to back up and say, “Did I read that right?” This response of Jesus seems to be intolerable (Matthew 15:25-26).

 

Those Kind of People 

There were obvious racial biases in the Bible, and we deceive ourselves if we believe that we don’t have a prejudice tendencies (due to cultural upbringing or personal experience with a small group of people).

 

In this region of Tyre and Sidon, in northwest Philistia, were OT symbols of paganism and godlessness. These poster children for God’s wrath and judgment were condemned by Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

  • What do you know about typical Jewish opinion of non-Jews?
  • How do you think the disciples felt about this region?
  • What relationship between people groups in our culture reflects this sort of prejudice?

Beautiful Desperation 

There must have been something about this Gentile women that caused her to approach Jesus in the midst of such hostility, desperation.

  1. She demonstrated that she knew how to approach God, using the very Jewish title, “Son of David.” She was passionate, loud and kept it up, annoying the twelve.
  2. She may have been the ideal person for Jesus to help: she believed He could help, she properly approached Him, passionate about her situation… all the keys to getting a response from God.

How did Jesus respond? First He ignored her, which seemed to suit the twelve. She was wailing, a Gentile woman, a pagan, someone below them and unclean. Ignoring her did not work so Jesus made a subtle statement about her status (Matthew 15:24, Matthew 15:26). Remember that dogs were not the loveable pets like we have today. They were scavengers, filthy and dangerous. Imagine the insult.

 

Jesus is pleased with her response (Matthew 15:27), and He immediately grants her request.

  • What pleased Jesus in her response?
  • What did her words reveal about her faith?

Purity: Inside Out 

Just before this event, Jesus faced off with the Pharisees, over the issue of cleanliness (Matthew 15:2). They were pretty critical of Jesus ministry already and Jesus was quick to defend His friends, claiming that their omission didn’t have anything to do with real purity. Purity is an internal matter of the heart. So, it’s not about where you live, or your race. So Jesus explains purity in the most unclean place imaginable.

  • How do you define purity?
  • How do you differentiate between inner and outer purity?
  • What is the most unclean place you know?

The disciples were uncomfortable, they felt dirty, and this woman showed them what being clean is all about. The woman seems to play along (Matthew 15:27). Her expression of need is the ideal picture of purity. We need to change our picture of purity. We think we need to clean ourselves up and then come to Christ.  Jesus commends this woman’s moral perfection in knowing how much she needed Him. In this dirty place Jesus finds something clean.

 

Need of Him

She was desperate, not thinking about how this must have looked or about her motivation. Jesus saw the purity of her desperation, the thing the Pharisees and His disciples lacked. When we express our need for God it says something about God. Society frowns on being needy and asking for help, but we are to come to God with empty hands and allow Him to be the Provider.

  • In what ways do you feel comfortable (or not) talking about your own needs that drive you toward God?

When was the First Christmas?

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No one really knows when Christ was born. It probably was not December 25, because Scripture says there were shepherds in the fields watching over their flocks, and that would have been highly unlikely in the middle of winter.

Our focus on December 25 came from the Roman holiday called Saturnalia. This was a pagan observance of the birthday of the unconquered sun. Saturnalia began December 19 each year, which, in the, northern hemisphere, is when the days start getting longer, and continued with seven days of festivities.

Many of our Christmas customs have their origins in Saturnalia, which was marked by feasting, parades, special music, gift giving, lighted candles, and green trees. As Christianity spread through the Roman Empire, the pagan holiday was given Christian connotations. In 336 Emperor Constantine declared Christ’s birthday an official Roman holiday. Some church leaders, such as Chrysostom, rebuked Christians for adopting a pagan holiday, but December 25 has endured as the date we celebrate Christ’s birth.

** Adapted from John MacArthur, in God With Us, the Miracle of Christmas, 1989.

More information on the date may be found here and here.

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Are You As Trustworthy As You Think?

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I was reading Christian Single magazine and found an article written by a person named J.B. which certainly causes one to think!

 

When it comes to relationships, honesty is one of the char­acter traits we most appreciate. Almost all of us think of ourselves as trustworthy, and we are quick to be offended when others are proved dishonest. While big lies might be easy to spot, how truthful are we when it comes to the small things? 

·     Keeping Promises: Have you ever promised to keep a secret, make a date, or help someone out and then failed to do exactly that? Sure, life gets in the way sometimes, and everyone’s entitled to a change of mind. But if your friends find themselves on the receiving end of a string of broken promises, it can mean only one thing: You’re unreliable. 

·     Shirking Work: While most of us still find it hard to break a promise to a friend, it’s much easier to take advantage of a big company. Have you ever called in sick when the only thing mak­ing you ill is the daily grind? Guess what: Your pants are on fire. 

·     Pilfering Post-Itst: An online survey by Reader’s Digest Canada found that 62 percent of its readers copped to stealing office supplies. Maybe you’re just pocketing small stuff like pens, paper, or envelopes to sock it to an impersonal industry. But if taking something that’s not yours isn’t dishonest, then what is? 

·     Ignoring Checkout Mistakes: How do you react if you get undercharged at the supermarket or restaurant? What do you do if the cashier gives you too much change? Your response is more of a statement about your own trustworthiness than their accuracy. 

·     Committing Victimless Crimes: Do you run stop signs way out in the country when you’re sure not to be seen? Do you edge over the speed limit on certain well-known roads? Do you ever pocket income you have no plans of reporting to the IRS? Don’t forget the classic definition of integrity: It’s who you are when no one’s looking. 

 

I am reminded of the young shepherd boy, David, in the classic story of his battle with the giant (1 Samuel 17). David approached King Saul and wanted to take on the one who was trash-talking the armies of the living God. Any king would have been concerned for such a young man to take on a huge warrior. But David’s comeback was a sign of his character. He was confident. He said he killed both the lion and the bear when they would come to steal his father’s flock, and he would do the same for this giant (vss. 34-36).

 

This tells me that David was a person of integrity; he had a responsibility to protect his father’s animals. Who would have ever known if one or two went missing? He risked his life when no one was looking! What kind of person are we when no one is looking? Or for the parents reading this; what kind of person are you when someone IS looking?

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Questions I'd Ask Before Following Jesus

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I recently read an article by Gordon MacDonald called “Questions I’d Ask Before Following Jesus” that reminded me of this important issue for someone who is interested in becoming a Christian. Having been a fan of discipleship and Christian growth for three decades, I have seen plenty of people get started in their relationship with Jesus only to give up at some point along the journey. Jesus even told a story that seems to fit well, the parable of the sower and the soils, where the same seed (the Word of God or perhaps the gospel of salvation) is sown freely to four different types of soil. As I talk to people about a relationship with God, I can ask questions that may even turn people away. I sense in the long run, people need to know what they are getting into.

As Jesus chose His disciples, or first followers, I wonder what questions where in their minds when they heard the “follow me” challenge? What issues concerned them? Practical questions? Personal questions? Priority questions? Questions about inadequacy? Anxiety? Compensation? What do we need to know before we leave our beach and join Your movement? 

1. Why do You want me with all my baggage? Jesus knew these guys better than they knew themselves, but Peter was on target when he said, “Go away from me Lord, I am a sinful man.” Since salvation is more than just saying, “yes” to Jesus, our baggage must be dealt with. Our call to discipleship is a call to renunciation. There must be an openness to new disciplines, new thinking, new ways to look at relationships. It’s not overnight, but there must be progress. 

2. What made you invite me? Jesus appears to have started with a bias of the heart rather than with an evaluation of outward performance. These guys were not the respected pillars of society. Jesus was not a talent scout, but a student of the inner person. I believe He sees potential as to what people may become, and He extended the invitation to join Him. 

3. What is the most important attribute of a disciple? When Jesus said, “I will make you fishers of men,” He was making a commitment to the follower, “I will make you…” He would guide the follower who makes the commitment to learning, or to the reshaping of his life. There is an issue of submission and obedience, two concepts that are not easily swallowed in our post-modern western society. I think Jesus is looking for F-A-T followers (Faithful, Available and Teachable). 

4. Where is discipleship likely to take me? Jesus always focuses on the future, seeing the potential in people. Some people think that following Jesus is adhering to old-fashioned teachings in outdated, irrelevant, relic documents. I see a relationship with Christ as the way to become what the Creator intended in the first place. Jesus sent His followers out to accomplish various tasks, like spreading the message to the ends of the earth. Possessing a new mission or sense of purpose cannot be overlooked. 

5. Will I be alone if I follow? No way! Christianity is nothing if it is not a community, which has a way of life, ethics, morality, disciplines and goals. Individualism (figuring this out all on your own) is not encouraged, but interdependence is the key. The disciple must ask, “Am I willing to get along with people who are considerably different from me?” The New Testament uses images of a body, and family and building… all made of various parts to become a whole. 

6. What happens when I fall flat on my face? Will You reject me? The first followers fell quite a bit, so we have the assurance that Jesus will hold on to us as well. People can grow stronger through hard times, discouragement and even failure. The disciple experienced al of these these, but never rejection. 

7. Where will I find the power to be and do what You ask of me? The disciples felt secure and empowered as long as Jesus was with them. He gave the Great Commission and they knew Jesus was not going to be beside them any more. He was sending the Holy Spirit to empower, teach, guide, comfort and remind them of their mission. It was the Spirit that transformed these fearful men of the crucifixion into the courageous leaders of the early church. 

8. What are the risks of following You? I like the story in John 21 where Peter is concerned about the fate of another disciple. Jesus basically tells him, “What is that to you? You follow Me.” The way for Peter would be hard and end in a violent death. But we must ask ourselves, “Do I follow God because it is easy or for what I get out of it (everlasting life) or because it is the right thing to do and He deserves it?”

Disappointment With God

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Philip Yancey has written a thought-provoking book (about 20 years ago) called Disappointment With God that asked the questions: Is God unfair? Is God silent? Is God hidden?  

 

I suppose that disappointment in anything comes to us when there is a gap between our expectations and reality. If we have the expectation that God should act in a certain fashion (like we read about in the Bible), we can become disappointed with Him when He does not. I suppose atheists don’t feel disappointed in God since they expect nothing and receive nothing. But as believers, perhaps we begin to think that God is toying with us. Why doesn’t He quit fooling around and show himself? Many might say, “If He would just speak aloud one time so that everyone could hear, then I would believe.” Probably the whole world would. So why doesn’t He? 

 

Yancey makes a great observation… the book of Exodus describes this kind of world. It showed God stepping into human history almost daily. 

 

Is God unfair? Why doesn’t he punish evil and reward good people? Why do bad things happen to people good and bad, with no discernable pattern? Imagine a world designed so that we experience a mild jolt of pain with every sin, and a tickle of pleasure with every act of virtue. This would be an elaborate system (or covenant) of rewards and punishments. Since the old covenant served as an object lesson, demonstrating that human beings were incapable of fulfilling a contract (covenant) with God, He needed to bring a new one. 

 

Is God silent? If He is so concerned about our doing His will, why doesn’t He just reveal it more plainly? A lot of people claim to hear a word from God but how do we know they have really heard from God? God simplified matters of guidance in the exodus: should we pack up and leave or remain here for a while? Simply look at the cloud over the tent. He set up other ways, like casting lots and some 613 laws that covered most anything else. Did a clear word from God increase the likelihood of obedience?  

 

Now for the philosophical question: why pursue God if he has already made himself known so clearly? Why step out in faith when God has already guaranteed the results? Why wrestle with the problem of choices when God already resolved the dilemma? In short, why should the Israelites act like adults when they could act like children? This method might help get a just-freed mob of slaves across the desert, but it doesn’t encourage spiritual development in human beings.  

 

Every choice would be a matter of obedience and not faith. Moses met with God, which was no secret, and God’s directness seemed to produce the opposite desired effect. The Israelites did not respond with worship and love, but fear and open rebellion. God’s visible presence did nothing to improve lasting faith. A burst of miracles would not nourish faith today, at least not the kind of faith God is interested in. The Israelites gave proof that signs from God only attract people to signs, not to God.

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The Purpose of Prayer

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When I taught at Hargrave Military Academy, one of my students in the Bible class brought to my attention a site he found that mocked prayer and the existence of God by appealing to the readers as educated and intelligent people who, if they were honest, must come to the same conclusion as him, that God is imaginary and prayer is an illusion. The site’s point was that prayer does not work, after all, just notice all the starving children around the world or the lack of world peace, or some other prayer request we feel has gone unanswered.  

 

We cannot discount the man’s questions, but he comes to the wrong conclusion based on his preconceived belief that God is imaginary. His anti-God bias affects his conclusion. God’s apparent silence is not as it seems. We cannot forget that we live in a fallen world. 

 

The best of all possible worlds is a place where there is no sin yet we still have free will (to do good and to love God because we choose to). To me, this sounds like the Garden of Eden before the Fall and eventually heaven. This is opposed to exercising our free will by sinning or perhaps loving God with no free will; like a robot programmed to recite a recording of its “love” for God. But in order to get to this “best of all possible worlds” we have to allow those who choose to sin or use their freedom to not love God, the option of not going to heaven. They are weeded out, so to speak. This present world, I believe, is the best way to the best of all possible worlds! 

 

Before I go on a tangent about all the solid and rational evidence that God exists, let me conclude with these two quotes from Oswald Chambers regarding the point of prayer and the purpose of prayer: 

The point of prayer is not to get answers from God, but to have perfect and complete oneness with Him. If we pray only because we want answers, we will become irritated and angry with God. We receive an answer every time we pray, but it does not always come in the way we expect, and our spiritual irritation shows our refusal to identify ourselves truly with our Lord in prayer. We are not here to prove that God answers prayer, but to be living trophies of God’s grace. 

 

Prayer is not a normal part of the life of the natural man. We hear it said that a person’s life will suffer if he doesn’t pray, but I question that. What will suffer is the life of the Son of God in him, which is nourished not by food, but by prayer. When a person is born again from above, the life of the Son of God is born in him, and he can either starve or nourish that life. Prayer is the way that the life of God in us is nourished. Our common ideas regarding prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer simply as a means of getting things for ourselves, but the biblical purpose of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself. 

If our understanding of prayer is faulty, no wonder this guy comes to the conclusion that God is imaginary and prayer is an illusion… he does not know what prayer is. He is like a child praying to God for candy, and when it does not miraculously show up, the child concludes that God must not exist.

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