Who is God? A Mere List of Facts?

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
John 8:31-32

In discipleship we have taken this and flopped it. We start like this:

Know the truth

Be set free

Follow Jesus

because of this, many people have never actually seen what God is like, they only know facts about him. They can list off many things:

He is loving, gracious, all knowing, all powerful, everywhere, infinite, provider, caring, passionate.

Here is the issue... We never fall in love with anyone by a list of things we know of them when it's made like a grocery list. I was speaking to a young woman who said she was struggling with her faith, and very confused on who God was and struggled as well because this confusing God was also the very one she was supposed to tell her friends about, strangers about, neighbors about. She would list off all the things above but for some reason they didn't like her algarhythm of a god.



I then pressed into her.

She has a boyfriend so I asked her: What if I were trying to introduce you to your boyfriend before you guys met and I said:

He has two eyes, two legs, a face, hair, a mouth, he eats, he hugs people and he wears clothes.

Will you be so caught up about him that you'd fall in love with him?

She laughed and said of course not. I said, "how have you fell in love with him?" She responded with: our time in relationship with each other. Exactly. She spent time with and walked in relationship and life with him to see what he was like. So much so, that if I were to tell her, " Your boyfriend is a thief and a liar" you wouldnt believe me, because of your understanding of who he is and what he is like.

This is how it is with God. He has always wanted relationship with us, so we could show off what he is like to the entire world. This is why discipleship starts with the first time we have contact with a person. We show off what God is like as we walk in God's ways. Because we aren't merely memorizing facts about God, but actually experiencing those facts in relationship with him, we can show him clearly to others. So, instead of just saying God provides, we see that he provides as we lean on his provision and wisdom. We don't merely call him comforter, but we have experienced his comfort during our lives. These things are what we then show off to others as we live in community with them. Up close. So, when they begin to trust in Jesus, they've already seen what a disciple does and experienced it. Because of this, they have a relationship with God and not merely head knowledge that was proven to be more believable than the alternative.

Where did we get so off track? We've never had relationships like this. We've never merely known facts about someone and said we were in intimate relationship with them. . But, we can see many people that are living this way. They believe this list of facts, then they work the rest of their lives trying to do things to prove that God is real and true, the same way they know it. In reality, they've never been set free. They are still a slave. Jesus' burden is heavy, not light. And, in the end, the gospel isn't good news and it definitely doesn't bring great joy. Maybe this is the reason why so many pastors and Christians are burnt out...they have a relationship with a spreadsheet of facts instead of walking in the ways of Jesus in real relationship with the Father that sets them free, brings great joy, and who's burden is light.

We need to go back to discipleship that starts with walking with others as we walk with God in the cool of the day, so they'll know the truth and so that truth sets them free as it has set us free.

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Atheists Know More About Religion? Not Surprising

In a new survey it has shown that Atheists and Agnostics know more about religion than the average Protestant. If you want to read a short story on this, check out this news story here. But, if you think about it, they probably should. The reason I say this is that those who have a deep knowledge of religion and see its affects, no doubt will they become unbelievers of religion itself. This isn't surprising, nor is it troubling. When one looks at religion, specifically Christianity as a whole (putting both Catholicism and Protestantism in the same breath), it is pretty grotesque to look at and see any resemblance of Jesus. Why wouldn't those who have done a ton of study on religion become unbelievers? I honestly don't believe that many who call themselves atheists or agnostics have heard the true story of Jesus or those who actually follow him. What they have received is a look at what religion does to a people, instead of seeing those who are actually transformed by the good news of Jesus. One could call me an atheist to this kind of religion as well.

In the movie, The Book of Eli (a movie about a post apocalyptic world), one of the villains desperately wants a copy of the Bible because he desires to control the minds of others. He said, "it's happened once, it can happen again." What we see is that it has nothing to do with the Bible that causes people to sin and reign over people, but the person who uses it for their own gain. It's like a knife. It can either be used for open heart surgery to save a life, or used by a murderer to kill someone. The knife isn't the problem, the person is.

The main character in The Book of Eli, played by Denzel Washington, states this (talking about the Bible):

In all these years I've been carrying it and reading it every day, I got so caught up in keeping it safe that I forgot to live by what I learned from it.

If you have seen this movie, you will notice this is a very profound and timely quote.

When one then reads that atheists know more facts about the Bible than a lot of Protestants, many pastors will use this as sermon material to challenge their people. But, is this the point of the good news? Are we supposed to know facts about the Bible, or are we to be living examples of the Bible and point people to Jesus? The survey shows that some Protestants didn't know basic things like who Martin Luther was, or about what transubstantiation is truly about. Although these things might add to someone's faith, is this the most important things about our faith? Not at all. Our faith in Jesus shouldn't be about merely knowing facts about Jesus (which is important), or facts about the Bible (which is important), but our faith should be in the understanding that no matter how smart or how dumb we are, we are all in the same position of wrath because of our sin. We are in need of a Saviour. We are in need of Jesus.

I would rather see us, who believe in Jesus, show who the real Jesus is by loving our neighbors, by loving, praying for and blessing our enemies, instead of going to war with them. I would rather someone say to me, "your the dumbest person I have ever met, but one thing I know, you are a lot like Jesus." This isn't to show that I am some great person, but that I merely serve the greatest person to ever live, die and live again...the God/Man...Jesus.

This is exactly what the people said of some of the disciples in the days after Jesus ascended to heaven:

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus
Acts 4:15

Maybe instead of trying to be the smartest guys in the room, we should desire to merely serve the smartest guys in the room. Maybe instead of trying to do good on a test about facts about Jesus, we could show people up close who Jesus is and what he is about. Maybe instead of being a functional atheist, living like there is no god, we could live like we actually believe what was written to us by our God.

Maybe.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:34-35

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Using Spurgeon's Catechism with Your Children

I thought I would give a couple of thoughts on what I have been doing with my two boys as we get together for dinner and before bed. I have decided to do something that is quite old school, but something that I think is great to do to make sure that the truths of the whole story of God are put forth to my kids. I have been using Spurgeon's Catechism with my boys. Caleb is 7 and Coleman is going to turn 4 in April. I will actually put the whole catechism below, but figured I would also give some advice on how to use the catechism and also ask for advice from those who have catechized in the past or presently.

1. Don't Just Memorize

The worst thing you could do with this is simply memorize it. You need to explain each on in the terms your child will understand. So, for the first one, I will ask the question, the boys will answer, then I'll ask them to explain what it means. The first one is this:

Question: What is the chief end of man?

Answer: Man's chief end is to glorify God, (1Co 10:31) and to enjoy him for ever (Ps 73:25,26)

The way that I have put this for Caleb and Coleman is to have them understand that this means, "Why is Caleb and Coleman on this earth? What is their purpose?" Then we go into understanding ways we can glorify God and why God wants us to enjoy him. This way, they aren't merely memorizing something, but able to apply it in their culture and context and also ask questions so they can truly understand them.

2. Don't let this supplant prayer and bible study

I honestly need to do a better job at leading in both of these. My wife does a great job of a daily bible study, but I would like to be more regular with my children. Although catechism is good for overall understanding, it is still not the Bible nor is it the power of the Spirit through prayer.

3. Take Your Time

I actually only do one per 2 or three weeks. I want them to truly understand each one. I am not in a race. I want them to be able to articulate each one so that these 'stick' with them for a long period of time. These are great truths that I want to be presuppositions for them as they grow up. I want to continually go through these things so that my children have that time to ask questions. Through this, my oldest has asked things like, "How do we know there is a heaven?" "How do we know there is a hell?" "Why can't we see God?" "If God loves everyone, why does he allow children to starve in Africa?" This all from asking the simple question, "What is the chief end of man?"

Take your time with it and allow your children to direct how much time to spend on each question.

These are my quick ideas for Catechism. Don't let the age of your children be a hindrance. Start them young, start them old. Even if they aren't believing children, the conversations that come from it will fascinate and challenge you to understand how to explain great truths to your children. Also, if you have Catechized, or are presently and would like to give some advice, please feel free to do so in the comments section.

Here is the full Catechism: (if you want the original webpage click here)

Introduction:

I am persuaded that the use of a good Catechism in all our families will be a great safeguard against the increasing errors of the times, and therefore I have compiled this little manual from the Westminster Assembly's and Baptist Catechisms, for the use of my own church and congregation. Those who use it in their families or classes must labour to explain the sense; but the words should be carefully learned by heart, for they will be understood better as years pass.

May the Lord bless my dear friends and their families evermore, is
the prayer of their loving Pastor.


C. H. Spurgeon


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Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15


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The London Baptist Confession of 1689 and the Westminster Shorter Catechism had fallen into disuse among the Particular Baptists in England. The causes for this shift in historical moorings from the Westminster family of confessions and catechisms are many and varied. The primary cause for their disuse was an emerging High or Hyper Calvinism that looked to the Standards for historical legitimacy while augmenting its theology with writers who held to a loose subscriptionist position as regards the 1689 Confession. Spurgeon sought to recover and reclaim the middle ground, or biblical path, between a man-centered Arminianism on the one side and a deistic Hyper-Calvinism on the other. The Prince of Preachers believed this catechism walked in that narrow way.

Spurgeon saw that this document was placed back in print somewhere about October 14, 1855. In that year Spurgeon turned 21 years young. On that day Spurgeon preached to a large audience at the New Park Street Church from Psalm 90:1, "The text that morning was, Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations". The sermon is found as number 46 in those volumes. When the sermon was prepared for the press it contained an announcement of the impending publication.

Mike Renihan


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1 Q What is the chief end of man?

A Man's chief end is to glorify God, (1Co 10:31) and to enjoy him for ever (Ps 73:25,26)

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2 Q What rule has God given to direct us how we may glorify him?

A The Word of God which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments (Eph 2:20 2Ti 3:16) is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify God and enjoy him (1Jo 1:3).

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3 Q What do the Scriptures principally teach?

A The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man (2Ti 1:13 Ec 12:13).

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4 Q What is God?

A God is Spirit (Joh 4:24), infinite (Job 11:7), eternal (Ps 90:2 1Ti 1:17), and unchangeable (Jas 1:17), in his being, (Ex 3:14), wisdom, power (Ps 147:5), holiness (Re 4:8), justice, goodness and truth (Ex 34:6,7).

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5 Q Are there more Gods than one?

A There is but one only (De 6:4), the living and true God (Jer 10:10).

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6 Q How many persons are there in the Godhead?

A There are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one God, the same in essence, equal in power and glory (1Jo 5:7 Mt 28:19).

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7 Q What are the decrees of God?

A The decrees of God are his eternal purpose according to the counsel of his own will, whereby for his own glory he has foreordained whatever comes to pass (Eph 1:11,12).

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8 Q How does God execute his decrees?

A God executes his decrees in the works of creation (Re 4:11), and providence (Da 4:35).

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9 Q What is the work of creation?

A The work of creation is God's making all things (Ge 1:1) of nothing, by the Word of his power (Heb 11:3), in six normal consecutive days (Ex 20:11), and all very good (Ge 1:31).

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10 Q How did God create man?

A God created man, male and female, after his own image (Ge 1:27), in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness (Col 3:10 Eph 4:24) with dominion over the creatures (Gen 1:28).

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11 Q What are God's works of providence?

A God's works of providence are his most holy (Ps 145:17), wise (Isa 28:29), and powerful (Heb 1:3) preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions (Ps 103:19 Mt 10:29).

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12 Q What special act of providence did God exercise toward man in the state wherein he was created?

A When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience (Ga 3:12), forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death (Ge 2:17).

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13 Q Did our first parents continue in the state wherein they were created?

A Our first parents being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the state wherein they were created, by sinning against God (Ec 7:29) by eating the forbidden fruit (Ge 3:6-8).

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14 Q What is sin?

A Sin is any want of conformity to, or transgression of the law of God (1Jo 3:4).

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15 Q Did all mankind fall in Adam's first transgression?

A The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself but for his posterity, all mankind descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression (1Co 15:22 Ro 5:12).

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16 Q Into what estate did the fall bring mankind?

A The fall brought mankind into a state of sin and misery (Ro 5:18).

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17 Q Wherein consists the sinfulness of that state whereinto man fell?

A The sinfulness of that state whereinto man fell, consists in the guilt of Adam's first sin (Ro 5:19), the want of original righteousness (Ro 3:10), and the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly called original sin (Eph 2:1 Ps 51:5), together with all actual transgressions which proceed from it (Mt 15:19).

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18 Q What is the misery of that state whereinto man fell?

A All mankind, by their fall, lost communion with God (Ge 3:8,24), are under his wrath and curse (Eph 2:3 Ga 3:10), and so made liable to all the miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell for ever (Ro 6:23 Mt 25:41).

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19 Q Did God leave all mankind to perish in the state of sin and misery?

A God having, out of his good pleasure from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life (2Th 2:13) did enter into a covenant of grace to deliver them out of the state of sin and misery, and to bring them into a state of salvation by a Redeemer (Ro 5:21).

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20 Q Who is the Redeemer of God's elect?

A The only Redeemer of God's elect is the Lord Jesus Christ (1Ti 2:5), who being the eternal Son of God, became man (Joh 1:14) and so was and continues to be God and man, in two distinct natures and one person for ever (1Ti 3:16 Col 2:9).

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21 Q How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?

A Christ, the son of God, became man by taking to himself a true body (Heb 2:14) and a reasonable soul (Mt 26:38 Heb 4:15), being conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary, and born of her (Lu 1:31,35) yet without sin (Heb 7:26).

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22 Q What offices does Christ execute as our Redeemer?

A Christ as our Redeemer executes the offices of a prophet (Ac 3:22), of a priest (Heb 5:6), and of a king (Ps 2:6), both in his state of humiliation and exaltation.

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23 Q How does Christ execute the office of a prophet?

A Christ executes the office of a prophet, in revealing to us (Joh 1:18), by his Word (Joh 20:31), and Spirit (Joh 14:26), the will of God for our salvation.

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24 Q How does Christ execute the office of a priest?

A Christ executes the office of a priest, in his once offering up himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice (Heb 9:28), and to reconcile us to God (Heb 2:17) and in making continual intercession for us (Heb 7:25).

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25 Q How does Christ execute the office of a king?

A Christ executes the office of a king in subduing us to himself (Ps 110:3), in ruling and defending us (Mt 2:6 1Co 15:25) and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies.

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26 Q Wherein did Christ's humiliation consist?

A Christ's humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a low condition (Lu 2:7) made under the law (Ga 4:4), undergoing the miseries of this life (Isa 53:3), the wrath of God (Mt 27:46), and the cursed death of the cross (Php 2:8); in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time (Mt 12:40).

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27 Q Wherein consists Christ's exaltation?

A Christ's exaltation consists in his rising again from the dead on the third day (1Co 15:4), in ascending up into heaven, and sitting at the right hand of God the Father (Mr 16:19), and in coming to judge the world at the last day (Ac 17:31).

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28 Q How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ?

A We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us (Joh 1:12) by his Holy Spirit (Tit 3:5,6).

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29 Q How does the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?

A The Spirit applies to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us (Eph 2:8) and by it uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling (Eph 3:17).

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30 Q What is effectual calling?

A Effectual calling is the work of God's Spirit (2Ti 1:9) whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery (Ac 2:37), enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ (Ac 26:18), and renewing our wills (Eze 36:26), he does persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the gospel (Joh 6:44,45).

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31 Q What benefits do they who are effectually called, partake of in this life?

A They who are effectually called, do in this life partake of justification, (Ro 8:30), adoption (Eph 1:5), sanctification, and the various benefits which in this life do either accompany, or flow from them (1Co 1:30).

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32 Q What is justification?

A Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardons all our sins (Ro 3:24 Eph 1:7), and accepts us as righteous in his sight (2Co 5:21) only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us (Ro 5:19), and received by faith alone (Ga 2:16 Php 3:9).

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33 Q What is adoption?

A Adoption is an act of God's free grace (1Jo 3:1) whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God (Joh 1:12 Ro 8:17).

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34 Q What is sanctification?

A Sanctification is the work of God's Spirit (2Th 2:13) whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God (Eph 4:24) and are enabled more and more to die to sin, and live to righteousness (Ro 6:11).

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35 Q What are the benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification?

A The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification (Ro 5:1,2,5), are assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Spirit (Ro 14:17), increase of grace, perseverance in it to the end (Pr 4:18 1Jo 5:13 1Pe 1:5).

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36 Q What benefits do believers receive from Christ at their death?

A The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness (Heb 12:23) and do immediately pass into glory (Php 1:23 2Co 5:8 Lu 23:43), and their bodies, being still united to Christ (1Th 4:14) do rest in their graves (Isa 57:2) till the resurrection (Job 19:26).

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37 Q What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection?

A At the resurrection, believers being raised up in glory (1Co 15:43), shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment (Mt 10:32), and made perfectly blessed both in soul and body in the full enjoying of God (1Jo 3:2) to all eternity (1Th 4:17).

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38 Q What shall be done to the wicked at their death?

A The souls of the wicked shall at their death be cast into the torments of hell (Lu 16:22-24), and their bodies lie in their graves till the resurrection and judgment of the great day (Ps 49:14).

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39 Q What shall be done to the wicked at the day of judgment?

A At the day of judgment the bodies of the wicked being raised out of their graves, shall be sentenced, together with their souls, to unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels for ever (Da 12:2 Joh 5:28,29 2Th 1:9 Mt 25:41).

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40 Q What did God reveal to man for the rule of his obedience?

A The rule which God first revealed to man for his obedience is the moral law (De 10:4 Mt 19:17) which is summarised in the ten commandments.

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41 Q What is the sum of the ten commandments?

A The sum of the ten commandments is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbour as ourselves (Mt 22:37-40).

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42 Q Which is the first commandment?

A The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods
before me.

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43 Q What is required in the first commandment?

A The first commandment requires us to know (1Ch 28:9), and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God (De 26:17), and to worship and glorify him accordingly (Mt 4:10).

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44 Q Which is the second commandment?

A The second commandment is, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments."

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45 Q What is required in the second commandment?

A The second commandment requires the receiving, observing (De 32:46 Mt 28:20), and keeping pure and entire all such religious worship and ordinances as God has appointed in his Word (De 12:32).

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46 Q What is forbidden in the second commandment?

A The second commandment forbids the worshipping of God by images (De 4:15,16). or any other way not appointed in his Word (Col 2:18).

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47 Q Which is the third commandment?

A The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes his name in vain.

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48 Q What is required in the third commandment?

A The third commandment requires the holy and reverent use of God's names (Ps 29:2), titles, attributes (Re 15:3,4), ordinances (Ec 5:1), Word (Ps 138:2), and works (Job 36:24 De 28:58,59).

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49 Q Which is the fourth commandment?

A The fourth commandment is, Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor they cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

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50 Q What is required in the fourth commandment?

A The fourth commandment requires the keeping holy to God such set times as he has appointed in his Word, expressly one whole day in seven, to be a holy Sabbath to himself (Le 19:30 De 5:12).

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51 Q How is the Sabbath to be sanctified?

A The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days (Le 23:3), and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God's worship (Ps 92:1,2 Isa 58:13,14), except so much as is taken up in the works of necessity and mercy (Mt 12:11,12).

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52 Q Which is the fifth commandment?

A The fifth commandment is, Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

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53 Q What is required in the fifth commandment?

A The fifth commandment requires the preserving the honour, and performing the duties belonging to every one in their various positions and relationships as superiors (Eph 5:21,22 6:1,5 Ro 13:1), inferiors (Eph 6:9), or equals (Ro 12:10).

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54 Q What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment?

A The reason annexed to the fifth commandment is, a promise of long life and prosperity -- as far as it shall serve for God's glory, and their own good -- to all such as keep this commandment (Eph 6:2,3).

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55 Q Which is the sixth commandment?

A The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill.

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56 Q What is forbidden in the sixth commandment?

A The sixth commandment forbids the taking away of our own life (Ac 16:28), or the life of our neighbour unjustly (Ge 9:6), or whatever tends to it (Pr 24:11,12).
57 Q Which is the seventh commandment?

A The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery.


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58 Q What is forbidden in the seventh commandment?

A The seventh commandment forbids all unchaste thoughts (Mt 5:28 Col 4:6), words (Eph 5:4 2Ti 2:22), and actions (Eph 5:3).
59 Q Which is the eighth commandment?

A The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.

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60 Q What is forbidden in the eighth commandment?

A The eighth commandment forbids whatever does or may unjustly hinder our own (1Ti 5:8 Pr 28:19 21:6) or our neighbour's wealth, or outward estate (Eph 4:28).

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61 Q Which is the ninth commandment?

A The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

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62 Q What is required in the ninth commandment?

A The ninth commandment requires the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man (Zec 8:16), and of our own (1Pe 3:16 Ac 25:10), and our neighbour's good name (3Jo 1:12), especially in witness-bearing (Pr 14:5,25).

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63 Q What is the tenth commandment?

A The tenth commandment is, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife,nor his manservant, or his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour's.

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64 Q What is forbidden in the tenth commandment?

A The tenth commandment forbids all discontentment with our own estate (1Co 10:10), envying or grieving at the good of our neighbour (Ga 5:26), and all inordinate emotions and affections to anything that is his (Col 3:5).

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65 Q Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?

A No mere man, since the fall, is able in his life perfectly to keep the commandments of God (Ec 7:20), but does daily break them in thought (Ge 8:21), word (Jas 3:8), and deed (Jas 3:2).

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66 Q Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?

A Some sins in themselves, and by reason of various aggravations are more heinous in the sight of God than others (Joh 19:11 1Jo 5:15).

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67 Q What does every sin deserve?

A Every sin deserves God's wrath and curse, both in this life and that which is to come (Eph 5:6 Ps 11:6).

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68 Q How may we escape his wrath and curse due to us for sin?

A To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, we must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Joh 3:16), trusting alone to his blood and righteousness. This faith is attended by repentance for the past (Ac 20:21), and leads to holiness in the future.

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69 Q What is faith in Jesus Christ?

A Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace (Heb 10:39), whereby we receive (Joh 1:12), and rest upon him alone for salvation (Php 3:9), as he is set forth in the gospel (Isa 33:22).

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70 Q What is repentance to life?

A Repentance to life is a saving grace (Ac 11:18), whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sins (Ac 2:37), and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ (Joe 2:13), does with grief and hatred of his sin turn from it to God (Jer 31:18,19), with full purpose to strive after new obedience (Ps 119:59).

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71 Q What are the outward means whereby the Holy Spirit communicates to us the benefits of redemption?

A The outward and ordinary means whereby the Holy Spirit communicates to us the benefits of Christ's redemption, are the Word, by which souls are begotten to spiritual life; Baptism, the Lord's Supper, Prayer, and Meditation, by all which believers are further edified in their most holy faith (Ac 2:41,42 Jas 1:18).

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72 Q How is the Word made effectual to salvation?

A The Spirit of God makes the reading, but especially the preaching of the Word, an effectual means of convicting and converting sinners (Ps 19:7), and of building them up in holiness and comfort (1Th 1:6), through faith to salvation (Ro 1:16).

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73 Q How is the Word to be read and heard that it may become
effectual to salvation?

A That the Word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend to it with diligence (Pr 8:34; 1Pe 2:1,2), and prayer (Ps 119:18) receive it with faith (Heb 4:2), and love (2Th 2:10), lay it up into our hearts (Ps 119:11), and practise it in our lives (Jas 1:25).

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74 Q How do Baptism and the Lord's Supper become spiritually
helpful?

A Baptism and the Lord's Supper become spiritually helpful, not from any virtue in them, or in him who does administer them (1Co 3:7 1Pe 3:21), but only by the blessing of Christ (1Co 3:6) and the working of the Spirit in those who by faith receive them (1Co 12:13).

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75 Q What is Baptism?

A Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, instituted by Jesus Christ (Mt 28:19) to be to the person baptised a sign of his fellowship with him, in his death, and burial, and resurrection (Ro 6:3 Col 2:12), of his being ingrafted into him (Ga 3:27), of remission of sins (Mr 1:4 Ac 22:16), and of his giving up himself to God through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness of life (Ro 6:4,5).

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76 Q To whom is Baptism to be administered?

A Baptism is to be administered to all those who actually profess repentance towards God (Ac 2:38 Mt 3:6 Mr 16:16 Ac 8:12,36,37 10:47,48), and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and to none other.

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77 Q Are the infants of such as are professing to be baptised?

A The infants of such as are professing believers are not to be baptised, because there is neither command nor example in the Holy Scriptures for their baptism (Ex 23:13 Pr 30:6).

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78 Q How is baptism rightly administered?

A Baptism is rightly administered by immersion, or dipping the whole body of the person in water (Mt 3:16 Joh 3:23), in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, according to Christ's institution, and the practice of the apostles (Mt 28:19,20), and not by sprinkling or pouring of water, or dipping some part of the body, after the tradition of men (Joh 4:1,2 Ac 8:38,39).

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79 Q What is the duty of such as are rightly baptized?

A It is the duty of such as are rightly baptized, to give up themselves to some particular and orderly Church of Jesus Christ (Ac 2:47 Ac 9:26 1Pe 2:5) that they may walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless (Lu 1:6).

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80 Q What is the Lord's Supper?

A The Lord's Supper is an ordinance of the New Testament, instituted by Jesus Christ; wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to his appointment, his death is shown forth (1Co 11:23-26), and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporeal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment, and growth in grace (1Co 10:16).

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81 Q What is required to the worthy receiving of the Lord's Supper?

A It is required of them who would worthily partake of the Lord's Supper, that they examine themselves of their knowledge to discern the Lord's body (1Co 11:28,29), of their faith to feed upon him, (2Co 13:5), of their repentance (1Co 11:31), love (1Co 11:18-20), and new obedience (1Co 5:8), lest coming unworthily, they eat and drink judgment to themselves (1Co 11:27-29).

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82 Q What is meant by the words, until he come, which are used by the apostle Paul in reference to the Lord's Supper?

A They plainly teach us that our Lord Jesus Christ will come a second time; which is the joy and hope of all believers (Ac 1:11 1Th 4:16).

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John Piper Reminds Me of a Muslim: God is the Gospel

I know I freak people out sometimes with my writings, but I found this short story in the book, Pilgrims of Christ on the Muslim Road by Paul Gordon Chandler. This reminds me much of some of what Piper is getting at in God is the Gospel. Read and tell me your thoughts. I find it quite beautiful:

I recall the example of Rabia al Adawia, a mystic in the first Islamic century. She carried a burning torch and a bucket of water in the streets of Basra. And she was asked why she was carrying a burning torch and a bucket of water. She responded by saying that she wanted to burn heaven and put out the fire in hell, because she wanted people to worship Almighty God not because they fear hell or want the reward of heaven. For in destroying heaven and hell, God is the only end - the only reward. She thought of God as so beautiful that he deserves worship for no reason other than who he is.

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9 Mostest Weirdest Stories of the Bible

I figured I would change things up some. I have not been able to have fun on the blog in a while as I have been doing a lot of posts and studies on Muslim/Christian relations. Hardly appropriate to drop funny lines when speaking of that topic. But, being that I like to both study the Bible and write humorously, I am trying to figure out why I haven't done this before. If you are new to this blog, I apologize ahead of time on my humor and writing style as I embark on this odd blog series. If you want to get used to what this might look like, I would tell you to take a look at my blog series called, "10 Steps to Become a Legalist." Which, I have to be honest, was one of my favorite blog series I have ever done. And, oddly, a pastor of a pretty large church in Alabama asked to use those blog posts for a sermon series.

My goals for this series are the following:

1. Have some fun and make you laugh. I am what some would call, an equal opportunity basher. I will make fun you at some point in this series. Please laugh. I will make fun of myself probably more. Please pray for my self-deprecating attitude with my idiosyncrasies.

2. Get people excited about the Old Testament. Let's be honest. Most people don't read the Old Testament unless their Sunday School teacher forces them to study through it to prove something. We all know that these teachers are usually monotone, and seem to take pleasure in picking out the most dry passages in the Old Testament and then taking two years going through them. All the while, feeling like he is more righteous because he gleans so much from these passages as you try and keep your head from bobbing while falling asleep. Probably why the Southern Baptists created the "quarter system" for Sunday School.

3. Get people to worship God and his glory through these passages. Most teachers are clueless on what the Old Testament is really about and how it connects with the overall story of God and His glory. The above mentioned baby sitters, I mean "teachers", love to tell you how to make yourself more like David or less like David, depending on the passage. They love to give you a list to follow so your faith can be like David's, or give you a list to follow so you don't murder a woman's husband after you have sex with her because you are a peeping Tom watching her take a bath. What these teachers miss, is that maybe these stories are telling us more about the glory of God, than how we can better ourselves.

So, these are my thoughts on why I want to go through these passages. Why 9? Because 9 is a strange number with no secret biblical code to unlock. At least I haven't found it to be one of yet with the bible code detector ring from my Rob Bell: You too can have faith like Peter's, Wheaties' box.

I also want to include you, the reader, to help me out. What are some weird stories that you have read in the Bible that you have no idea why they are there and have no idea how they would point to the glory of God. Or, are just plain odd and you think are funny. Because lets be honest...funny brings readers. Readers bring comments. Comments bring...well nothing really because I do this stupid blog for free and have never made a penny doing it. But, comments make me feel important, and might get me a Sunday School gig at your local 4th First Baptist Church.

So, either comment here, hit me up on twitter or Facebook or email me what weird stories you would like to see in this countdown of sorts.

Hopefully this will be a great series that will be enjoyable for everyone involved. And, I hope to make fun of you...a lot. But only so you see your weirdness and look more to Jesus.

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Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God? Part II

What Do the Scriptures Teach About Non-Trinitarian Peoples?

Hopefully you have seen what I mean when I say worship (again, not speaking of the term “to know”) and the fact that Allah is described in many of the same ways we would describe him. The one fact remains though: We (Christians and followers of Jesus) worship God, knowing God is triune in nature; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Remember that when seeking to find if Muslims or Jews worship the same God, we are not saying that they know him or are fully worshiping him in the manner that God desires. We even see this in the Old Testament when Isaiah is given the commandment to proclaim to Israel that they were not worshiping God in the way he desired, but this didn’t mean that they were not worshiping God, it just meant that their worship was in vain, or empty.

Then the Lord said,
“Because this people draw near with their words
And honor Me with their lip service,
But they remove their hearts far from Me,
And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,
Isaiah 29:13

We see that Jesus quotes this same verse from Isaiah in Matthew 15:8, using the term “sebomai” to show forth the idea of “worship or fear” of God. If Jerusalem in the Old Testament wasn’t worshiping the true God, we have some real issues, as it is God himself who is speaking to Jerusalem and telling them “you are worshiping me incorrectly!” What God is not saying is that they are worshiping another god. What is being conveyed, in both the Old and the New, is the importance of worshiping God correctly, so that your mouth and your heart are near God, so that you may know God.

What I want to show is how the terms used for worship are used both of those who are true followers of Jesus and those who don’t know Jesus as God. If I am successful in this, one should be able to see that to say that “Muslims don’t worship the same God as Christians” is at least unhelpful, if not totally false.

Cornelius in Acts 10

When we come to Acts 10, a man named Cornelius is introduced to us. He is described in this way:

a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually.
Acts 10:2

Understand that Cornelius is a Gentile and knows nothing of Jesus. The term “feared” used here is the term “phobeo” which Peter also uses in 1 Peter 2:17 when he tells believers to “Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.” As we mentioned above, this term for fear is closely related to the term worship. Not only this, but this passage gets very clear about this Gentile who knows nothing of Jesus Christ. It says in Acts 10:4 that the angel of the Lord that appeared to Cornelius states, “Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God.” I don’t know of any scholar, or even nominal Christian, who would say that prayer isn’t a part of worshiping God. What we find here is that a Gentile, who has yet to be converted to Jesus, or taught the triune aspect of God, is, and has been, worshiping the true God.

Cornelius’ total ignorance of what it means to truly worship and know God shows forth when Peter visits him to preach. When Peter approached Cornelius, Cornelius fell down and worshiped Peter!

So, although Cornelius is a Gentile, knowing nothing of Jesus, he worships/fears/prays to God and God hears him.

The First Convert in Europe, Lydia

The second example is found in Acts 16:14 when it states the following:

A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.

In this passage, we find a woman in Europe who ended up submitting herself to Jesus. But, before she was surrendered her life, she is called a “worshiper of God.” This is before Paul had spoken the gospel to Lydia, and once she heard, her heart was opened and she responded. The term used here in the Greek is the term “sebomai.” Which, as we noted above, is used both to have a sense of “fear” and also “worship.” This term puts these two expressions in congruence with each other.

One might say at this point, “Yes, they are said to worship God, because once they heard the good news, they then converted to Jesus.” (I think that is quite a weak argument, but nevertheless, I will respond as though it were convincing) While this is true of both of the first two examples, this term “sebomai” is also used of people where we have no proof that they ever converted to be followers of Jesus

Here is a quick list of the verses that use this term “sebomai” in regards to those who are not shown to ever submit to Jesus:

‘But in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’ ”
Matthew 15:9


‘But in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’
Mark 7:7

So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.
Acts 17:17

In every one of these instances, we see that this Greek term “sebomai” is used for those who are worshiping God in ignorance, with no proof that they ever turned to Jesus. On the contrary, we also find the same term used, not only with Lydia, but with others who “feared” or “worshiped” God and then later (also used in the present tense) turned to Jesus.

Some of these could be argued from the text that we don’t even know if some of these people actually submitted to Jesus later, but I will put them in this context to avoid argument.

Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the grace of God.
Acts 13:43

But the Jews incited the devout women of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.
Acts 13:50

And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women.
Acts 17:4

Then he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next to the synagogue.
Acts 18:7

saying, “This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.”
Acts 18:13

One can plainly see that throughout the Scriptures, the term “sebomai” which means to worship is used interchangeably with those who know the fullness of God through Jesus Christ, those who eventually come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and to those who we never see turning to Jesus. What we never see is the fact, that some would like to charge, that Jesus and the apostles ever told those who are worshiping God in the way they know him as, that they are worshiping another god.

If this term “sebomai” or “worship” or “God-fearers” can be used for those who don’t know Jesus in the New Testament, why can this term not be used in today’s context with Muslims?

Miscellaneous Thoughts on Worshiping God

I want to also point out a couple of other verses that support this understanding, but might not necessarily hold enough weight to convince as the above.

The first is found in Matthew 5:16

Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

What we see is a command from Jesus to those who follow him, his disciples. He tells them that they should be light and salt, and to allow their works to be seen by men. Why? So that men will glorify their Father who is in heaven. It interesting because the term “glorify” is closely related to worship (1 to think, suppose, be of opinion. 2 to praise, extol, magnify, celebrate. 3 to honour, do honour to, hold in honour. 4 to make glorious, adorn with lustre, clothe with splendour. 4a to impart glory to something, render it excellent. 4b to make renowned, render illustrious. 4b1 to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged).

You’ll also notice that there is no distinction whether those that will glorify God are followers of Jesus or not. But, the fact remains, whether they love Jesus or not, they can glorify God who is in heaven, without knowing Him. Again, this would seem to show that although one doesn’t know God, they can still glorify and worship God.

The second is found in Acts 13:48 and has been much debate among Calvinists and Arminians, but we can also glean one other theological conclusion here.

When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

What you see here is Paul and Barnabas preaching to a group of Jews and Gentiles. The Jews reject the preaching, while it says that all the Gentiles present began to rejoice and glorify the word of the Lord. Again, we see this exact same term “glorify” or “doxazo.” You’ll notice that not all those who were rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord then believed; only those who were appointed to believe, believed. That would leave us to understand that there were some who rejoiced and glorified the word, without actually turning to Jesus.

Conclusion

I wrote this to simply ask those who continually say that “Allah” is a demon or that Islam worships another god, to see the reasoning from us who say that this isn’t the case. Although I don’t believe that Islam paints a complete picture of who God is, and what his attributes are, this doesn’t mean that they worship a completely different god altogether. Let me give an example before I conclude.

There were two men (Steve and David) who claimed to know another man (James) who lived in South Africa. As these two met each other in New York at a conference, they began speaking about this man James who lived in South Africa. David began to speak about James, but didn’t know him personally. He only knew a guy who claimed to know James and learned about James through him. Throughout the years, David sent James letters of thankfulness because of all the wisdom he was learning through his other friend. As David began to describe James to Steve, they seemed to be talking of the very same man. They both knew James to be quite funny, he had two sons, his wife had died giving birth to their second son and James, to both of them, was quite the business man. Then David said that James was pretty harsh in business, and disowned his second son after the son refused to get a job when he turned 18. Steve was quite perplexed. Steve told David, I actually live right next to James and I personally have known him for over 20 years. He actually isn’t harsh in business, but quite kind to all of his employees and very forgiving those who have been dishonest in their business dealings. Also, Steve said that James’ oldest son, decided to leave the house at the age of 18 on his own and James has been pursuing a relationship with him ever since. Then Steve asked, “Would you like to know James personally?” David quickly responded, “Yes, in fact I would”. Steve said, “Good, because he is coming to New York tomorrow, and you can start to personally know him.”

I know that this parallel is only helpful to a small degree. But, the understanding I am trying to get across is the one we should have with our Muslim friends. Although they might worship God, as David was sending letters to James, they don’t know God personally as we do, because of Jesus. Our job isn’t to tell the Muslim that they don’t worship another god, as it would have been very odd for Steve to tell David that he didn’t know the real James from South Africa. Our job is to lead them to the fullness of God, only known through Jesus Christ. Our job is to lovingly guide the Muslim to a complete understanding of the grace found in God, through the Messiah.

Remember, incomplete truth isn’t non-truth. It’s like saying, “sugar and flour” are ingredients of a cake. While true, this isn’t the complete ingredient list for a cake. We need to continue with the fullness of wisdom to show which ingredients have been left out, or which ones are wrong.

We should be like Paul at Mars Hill. We should find those things that are similar and then guide them to the fullness of truth. We should not burn those bridges that have already been built between the two faiths, but we should introduce Jesus to them through these bridges. Just as Paul did with the “unknown god” to the Greeks.

Let me remind the reader, that what I am trying to convey is the difference between worship and knowing God. Knowing is a very deep and personal term in both the Hebrew and the Greek. One can think of it this way:

All those who know God will worship God; All those who worship God, don’t necessarily know God.

May we continually seek ways to show all men the greatness of the Messiah, and ask them to seek out who Jesus was, is and will continue to be. May we do this in a constructive way, instead of a detrimental one.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Matthew 5:9

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Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God? Part I

When I first heard this question brought up to me, my thought was a simple, “No.” The reason that I gave was the fact that we, as followers of Jesus, worship the monotheistic, yet triune God of Abraham. If one does not believe that God is triune in nature, how can they worship the same as I, one who is a follower of Jesus? But, I quickly started to think this through. The reason was that Jews would give the same answer as a Muslim in regards to God, yet I would have a harder time to say that God’s chosen nation in Old Testament didn’t worship God, if they didn’t believe Him to be triune. Not only that, but I would have a hard time regarding those in contemporary Judaism as not worshiping the same God as I. Being that both the Muslim and Jew worship God, who is the One and only, if one is cast out as not worshiping God so shall the other. One can see the similarities in the two faiths, in their preeminent proclamation of them:

The Shema for the Jew, taken from Deuteronomy 6:4, states:

“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!

When the Muslim is asked what makes one a true Muslim, or one who is submitted to God, they will speak of their Shahada:

There is no god but God

So, as I started to think this through, I said, “If I say that Muslims do not worship the same God as I, then neither does the monotheistic Jew either.” Although this bothered me some, I still, nonetheless, decided to go to the Scriptures to see what it would say about those who did not believe Jesus to be God, and held that believing so, meant that God is more than one and was therefore being blasphemous.

I am going to go through this in steps to show what I am getting to. I will first distinguish between worshiping God and knowing God, then will show what Islam teaches about God or Allah, and then what the Scriptures speak of concerning those who do not know Jesus to be part of the Triune aspect of the Godhead.

Defining Worship, Not Knowing

Worshiping in the New Testament Greek is brought about in the terms “sebomai, proskuneo and latreuo .” These terms have the connotation of both a physical aspect and spiritual one. The physical aspect is brought out in the term, “proskuneo” which can either mean to “prostrate, kiss or bow” but also carries the idea of “deep reverence.” We see this term used in the most profound way when John uses it when quoting Jesus as saying,

“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

John 4:24

The next term that is translated as worship in the New Testament Greek is “sebomai” and has the idea of “revere, worship or one who is devout.” This term is translated in the NASB by using the terms “God-fearing, devout, worship and worshiper.” A couple of usages in the New Testament are found in Acts 13:50 and Acts 16:14 respectively:

But the Jews incited the devout women of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.

A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.

What one will notice is that the connection in these terms is the term, rendered in the English as, reverence. We will connect these further when looking at the Scriptures, but one other term that is very close to these two terms is the term “phobeo”, which means to “fear, to reverence or to be afraid.” So, when the Bible uses the term, “worship” there is some idea that reverential fear is being spoken of. Many times we see in the Scriptures that those who followed God were said, ‘to fear Him”. To give a reference that I will use later, Peter says in 1 Peter 2:17, “Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.”

What I want the reader to know is that I am not saying that all those who “worship” or “fear God” know God fully, or worship him in the way that God desires. Jesus tells us,

“All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”

Matthew 11:27

I want to make this distinction, because I don’t want to confuse the reader to think that I am saying that by worshiping God, one then knows God, therefore accessing heaven by a different means than Christ.

What Does Islam Believe About God?

First, this is not some Magnum Opus on the doctrines of the Islamic faith on Allah or God. I understand that most of my readers are Westerners with very little knowledge of the Qur’an, but have only heard Evangelical Polemics against Islam in regards to their understanding of God. My intent here is to show the similarities of the Qur'an with the Torah and New Testament, not to get into a debate about their practical wisdom of the terms they use.

Before we begin, some love to draw a very odd straw man against Islam by saying that “Allah” is a demon and should not be used as a term for calling on God. So much so, that they desire Muslim converts to Jesus to stop calling God, Allah. This is quite simply, very elementary and foolish. Mark D. Siljander, in his book, “A Deadly Understanding” puts the understanding quite well. He states:

What did the Semitic languages have to say about God and Allah? The answer proved fascinating.

In pre-Muhammadan times, Arabs worship a moon god called Hubal, whom they also referred to as “Al-ilah,” and this, goes the claim, was the source of “Allah.” But ilah is simply the Arabic word for “god.” Al-ilah means, “the god.” (The Arabic “al” is equivalent to the English “the.”) In precicely the same generic way, Semitic tribes used this basic term, il or el, to refer to their various gods for thousands of years before Muhammad. El was the chief deity of the Canaanite pantheon; the Canaanite language was closely related to Hebrew. With Abraham and the birth of the great monotheistic faiths, these words were adopted to refer to the one God. The Aramaic form was Alaha, the Hebrew Eloah, which became the Elohim who does the creating in the first chapter of Genesis.

Taking a closer look at our own language, I found precisely the same linguistic process: our word “God” is derived from the proto-German pagan word gott, which denotes a particular water spirit. The Latin Deus, from which we draw our word, “deity,” Spanish its Dios, and French its Dieu, are all descendants of Zeus, the name for the chief god in the Greek pantheon. Yet when modern Christians pray to God, Dios, or Dieu, we don’t accused them of invoking Zeus or a pagan water demon! The Hubal issues was a nonissue: God, Dios, Elohim, Eloah, Alaha – and yes, Allah as well – all refer to the same One Deity of Abrahamic monotheism.

For over five hundred years before the birth of Muhammad, Arab Christians and even some Jews in the Arabian peninsula used the word Allah for God.

Mark J. Siljander, A Deadly Misunderstanding, 46-47

As we continue, remember that the great monotheistic beliefs understand that there is only one God. There is no other God. So, when one says that they are worshiping the one God and then describes that God in many of the same ways we would, it is difficult to come to the conclusion that they are, in fact, worshiping “another” god. Here are some of the descriptions that Islam has for Allah:

God is:
One
Sovereign
Omniscient
Omnipotent
Eternal
Creator of Universe
Revealer of Himself
The Light
Love
Merciful
Compassionate/Beneficent

It is easy to see that the way the Qur’an describes God, is very much how we would describe God. Would they describe God in every way that a follower of Jesus would? No. Would they understand God in every way that a follower of Jesus would? No. But, this shouldn’t negate the fact that Islam is monotheistic and hold to many of the same descriptions that we would hold to.

And these descriptions shouldn’t be too surprising, as Muhammad had much contact with Jews and Christians on the trade routes and the fact that Surah 3:64 states,

Say, "O People of the Scripture, come to a word that is equitable between us and you - that we will not worship except Allah and not associate anything with Him and not take one another as lords instead of Allah ." But if they turn away, then say, "Bear witness that we are Muslims [submitting to Him]."

One can see that there are many similarities between the God of the Bible and Allah of the Qur’an. Even Muhammad, when speaking to “the people of the book (Scripture)” states that we both worship the same God and that none is his equal. The reason is the fact that Muhammad saw that the Jew, the Christian and the Muslim were all worshiping Jehovah, God, Allah – the one true God.

I will continue tomorrow with how the Scriptures describe those people who do not know God to be triune, yet One: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

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The Story of the Vile Man Marrying the Beauty: Part I

There’s a story about a man who was pursued by the most beautiful, powerful and rich woman in the city. This man, not having much going for him in both money and in physical appearance was overtaken by her pursuit. After a short courting time he asked her father for her hand in marriage. The father, loving his daughter, and loving his future son in law, quickly obliged and very excited for their union.

The man was completely in love, and every conviction that he had, the woman had. Although she was very rich and very beautiful she was also the most spiritual upright person that he had ever met. She was humble, submissive and looked for ways to always show grace and patience to her husband. As the marriage started off, the man did everything in his power to show how much he loved his wife, by ministering to her, buying her gifts, and showing much of his devotion to her both through his words and actions. The marriage, although odd to the outside world, was truly one of great beauty and devotion on both parts, as they both submitted themselves to God in love.

One day, as the man was on his way home, a local woman approached him. She grabbed him by the wrist and asked him to follow her. As he did, he noticed that this woman was taking him to the part of the city that was known for prostitution. He humbly declined, and went home to his wife.

This went on for the next month, but instead of changing routes home, he found himself purposely going the same way so as to come in contact with this woman. Then, temptation overtook his conscience. He gave into her advances and he slept with this prostitute. The man, feeling a deep rooted sorrow, went home to his wife and admitted his transgression to his wife. The wife, still in all her beauty and devotion, took off his coat, showed him the way to the table, fed him, rubbed his shoulders and drew him a warm bath for him to relax in. As she did this, she simply said, “I forgive you, and I love you the same as I did yesterday.”

The next day, the man repeated his offense.

This time, he decided to withhold the information from his beautiful wife, believing she would not find out. As he walked through the door, she again, took his coat, led him to the table, rubbed his shoulders and drew him a bath. As he laid in the bath, she approached him and said, “I know of your repeated offense and I want you to know that I have already forgiven you and I love you.”

Shocked by her love and devotion, the man promised that this would never happen again.

The next day, the man repeated his offense.

As the man entered the house, his wife, lavished him with a huge party in his favor, brought his favorite foods and entertainment, invited his friends and took him aside and said, “I still know that you have not stopped your transgressions, but I love you and I forgive you, please enjoy this party that I have thrown for it is to show you that I will never leave you for the sake of your transgressions. I truly love you deeply”
The man, overcome with guilt, wept bitterly at her feet. But, she would not allow him to be at her feet, so she knelt down, wiped away his tears with her shirt and proceeded to wash his feet so that he could go and enjoy the party with no one knowing of his transgressions.

The next day, the man repeated his offense.

As he approached the house, the woman met him and simply asked him, “What must I do my husband? I am the most powerful, most beautiful and most submissive woman in the city and yet you run around with the whores and have brought home many diseases into our household. I have forgiven you and continue to forgive you and I truly love you. Have I not shown you this through both devotion and tongue?”

Then as she was finishing up, the woman’s father walked in.

As the father stepped forward, the husband asked, “What do you deem should happen to me father? If you desire, take my life for I desire whores instead of your daughter. I desire the freedom of debauchery instead of devotion to your daughter who is most forgiving and loving to me. Your daughter is the most beautiful woman in the city, the most powerful, the most loving, and the most submissive. Yet, I leave our bed for another’s each night. I was known to be the ugliest, poorest and vilest man before marrying your daughter, but now that I have been betrothed to her, people have considered me the richest, most handsome and powerful man in the city. Although given everything from your daughter, I have squandered it all. Make your ruling, and I will concede.”

The father stepped forward, and uttered his ruling.

The question comes…what should the ruling of the father be to his son in law?

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Too Much Jesus Isn't Good?

Any thoughts on this quote before I give you the person who said it? Thanks to my buddy Pete up in the bustling town of Bellingham. I found the quote to be quite interesting.

“The answer, he believed, was that in their anxiety to present salvation in terms of the person and work of Christ, evangelicals had become unbalanced and tended to forget God the Father. There was a danger of ‘Jesusology’. The worship of God as three Persons must always be remembered. In particular, the emphasis, ‘I believe in God the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth’, needed to be restored – not simply God the Saviour, but before that, God the Creator. He pointed out that modern hymns and choruses had encouraged the tendency which he criticized, a tendency which reached a point at which evangelicals would rather have talks on ‘Personal Work’ than on the character of God.”

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The Gospel Redux

What I have found in Christendom these days, is the same that I am sure has been found in any era of post crucifixion life, the half truth of the gospel. The half truth of the gospel is the gospel of mere fear. It goes something like this: You don't want to go to hell do you? Then believe in Jesus so you don't have to. This gospel has probably won more false converts than any other. This gospel has led to the gospel being presented as more of an insurance commercial than a plenary gospel presentation. Think of it. Think of how insurance is sold. They cause you to fear things you didn't think you needed to fear, whether it is a flood, fire, your arm being chopped off or your kid dying, they want to bring up a fear to get your money.

How is this different than a gospel that says, "trust in Jesus and you won't go to the fire?" Atheists and agnostics see right through this fear mentality because they have seen it their whole lives in Aflac and Met Life commercials. The gospel becomes more of a fear tactic than life giving, God honoring good news.

If you think of it, it really fits in nicely with the legalists gospel. The legalist lives for showing you what he does NOT do. He doesn't go to R rated movies, he doesn't smoke, he doesn't drink, he doesn't listen to secular music, he doesn't, he doesn't, he doesn't...and...he doesn't go to hell. The legalist is all about what he doesn't do, instead of what he does do.

This isn't the gospel. The gospel isn't only what you don't do, but what you do. The gospel isn't merely, "I didn't want to go to hell" but, the gospel is more, "I am now an heir of Christ, adopted by God." The plenary gospel is the gospel that gives you God. The person who has been saved by grace doesn't tell you what they don't do, but who they live for. They live to glorify God in all they do. Sure, there are things that we are told to not do, but that isn't what defines us, what we do for the glory of God is what defines us. To be more specific, Jesus defines us.

If you notice in the presentation of the full and plenary gospel, it isn't merely that Christ died, but that he was resurrected. The Bible tells us these things:

who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
Romans 8:34

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."
John 14:1-6

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
1 Peter 3:18

You will notice that these references put much emphasis on where Christ is and where we are going. There are many places in the Scriptures that tell us of hell, and it will be a place of great sorrow and pain. But, for the believer, it isn't merely that we are not going there, but the fact that Christ has been raised to bring us in the presence of God. This is what we should be telling others. We aren't an infomercial on the best of two options, we are presenting the fact that one gets to be in the presence of their Creator who only wants our greatest joy to be full.

If we are in awe of the Grand Canyon, which is a mere creation, imagine when we see the One who Created it!

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Early Church Reflection on the Deity of Christ

This is an excellent summation on quotes from the early church on the deity of Christ. If you want to read more on this subject, I highly recommend "For Us and Our Salvation" by Stephen Nichols. This post was taken from The Village Church's theology section of their blog. Enjoy.

By: Geoff Ashley

If you are very familiar with pop society of the past decade you have probably heard the claim that the deity of Jesus was not a confession or belief of the early church, but was rather an invention of the fourth century in accordance with Emperor Constantine’s desire for imperial unity.

“Until that moment in history, Jesus was viewed by his followers as a mortal prophet…a great and powerful man, but a man nonetheless.” (Teabing, The DaVinci Code: Dan Brown)

“Jesus’ establishment as “the Son of God” was officially proposed and voted on by the Council of Nicaea.” (DaVinci),

It is not my intent to provide a defense against Dan Brown’s work (for two reasons: 1. Others have already done a solid job of this – see Dr. Darrell Bock’s Breaking the DaVinci Code 2. The book was released 6 years ago and is no longer that culturally significant though I think Tom Hanks and Ron Howard are teaming up again to make another movie in the series). Rather I wanted to merely provide some early church quotations to highlight the historical fact that there is a consistent belief in the deity of Jesus Christ throughout the first four centuries of Christian history.


A.D. 66 —“Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13)

AD 95—“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:1, 14)

AD 110—“There is only one Physician, who is both flesh and spirit, born and unborn, God in man, true life in death, both from Mary and from God, first subject to suffering, then beyond it—Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Ignatius of Antioch)

AD 165—“And because he was God and is God…this is the Man who was sent by the Father to the world because he is God, both Man upon earth and God in heaven, and he is God over all creation.” (Melito of Sardis)

AD 180—“For we speak of His Word as God too and Son, and of the Holy Spirit likewise, united into one by power and divided in order thus: the Father, the Son, the Spirit.” (Athenagoras of Athens)

AD 190—“Inasmuch as the Word was from the first, He was and is the divine source of all things…. This Word, then, the Christ, the cause of both our being at first (for He was in God) and of our well-being, this very Word has now appeared as man, He alone being both, both God and man—the Author of all blessings to us.” (Clement of Alexandria)

AD 200—“So from spirit comes spirit, and God from God, as light is kindled from light…. This ray of God…glided down into a virgin, in her womb was fashioned as flesh.” (Tertullian)

AD 245—“We do not fall into the opinion of those [monarchists], who reject that the Son is distinct from the Father… nor do we fall into the other impious doctrine which denies the divinity of Christ.” (Origen)

As you can see, it is simply untrue that the early church did not believe in the doctrine of the deity of Christ. The church did struggle with articulating the concept of the relationship between Father and Son, but there is a huge difference between wrestling with how to express a truth and not believing that truth.

In light of a spreading heresy 4th century heresy known as Arianism which taught that Jesus was not divine, but was rather a creature, an ecumenical (meaning universal – churches from all over sent representatives) counsel was held to seek consensus on the Christian confession of the person of Jesus Christ. Below is what was articulated:

The Nicene Creed (325 AD):
I believe in one God the Father Almighty; Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried; and the third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son(1); who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the Prophets. And one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

—————

1. The phrase “and the Son” was not accepted by the entire church and was a later addition which was a catalyst for the split between the Eastern (Orthodox) and Western (Roman Catholic) churches. Theologians refer to this as the filioque clause from the Latin for “from the Son.”

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Who Killed God?

Last year I watched the Mars Hill Good Friday service, and have to say, it was very well done. Of course Red Letter played some amazing music as usual which made the evening that much better.

I will once again watch it this year, and interestingly enough, they have a live feed this year. I would go, but it is my youngest boy's birthday on the 10th, so I want to spend time with him.

The question I have is this: Can God die? I know that Jesus is God and he was and is the God/Man. But, is it accurate to say that God died on Calvary, or was it Christ's humanity that died that fateful day?

Here is the link to the live feed and below is the "trailer" video for the Good Friday service at Mars Hill Seattle this year. I also included under that the video from last year's service.

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Can God Be Trusted?

I received this book from InterVarsity Press and really had no background to the book or it's author. The full title is "Can God Be Trusted?: Faith and the Challenge of Evil." This was one of the few times where I had no idea what theological convictions were of the author as he wrote. After reading the book, I am still left confused for the most part on his theological convictions on quite a few important orthodoxies.

The author, John Stackhouse, breaks the book down in two parts:

Part I: Problems (This is where evil is discussed)

Part II: Responses

I went back and forth with this book as I read it as to whether or not I would recommend it to anyone. Let me hit some of the strong points in the book and then I will hit some of the weak points.

Some of the strong parts of the book is that Stackhouse does a good job in defining and describing faith. One can tell that he has read some Schaeffer (or at least Schaeffer's sources) on this point, because his thoughts on faith remind me much of what I have read from Schaeffer on faith. Stackhouse does a good job of showing that faith is not a leap, but one that is based on at least some, if not quite a bit of, knowledge of the thing or person one puts faith in.

Stackhouse also does a good job of speaking to those whom the book is probably offered, which is the non-Christian. He speaks to them in their terms, gives respect to other religions where respect is due, and also is very open and honest about the struggles within Christendom. Within this, he also asks some very good questions to those who are non-Christians within the understanding of evil. He actually switches the question at one point to say if we think we can ask, "Why is there so much evil?" we have to also ask the question, "Why is there so much good?" I really enjoyed his discussion on that topic. He does open up some further questions for the skeptic, or the searcher, that they (actually all of us) need to ask at some point to come to an understanding of what we believe and why.

Those are the good points.

As a Christian, there was much to be alarmed at. I really don't know what theological convictions John Stackhouse has at this point. His answer to evil was quite troubling. He said that the reason there is evil was pointed to the fact of free will in all men. At one point saying that God "took a risk when creating humans with free will." This is a big stumbling block for me and this book. I am not sure how a sovereign God, who knows all things can take risks. His basic answer to why there is evil, is simply because of free will. He uses, somewhat, Alvin Plantinga's Free Will Defense to answer the question how God could be good, all powerful and still have evil exist. Free will in this book is taken as mere fact, with no Scriptural proof at all. The only time that predestination is mentioned is when speaking of the theologies of Calvin and Luther, as though it was their theology that wasn't found in the Bible. This mention lasts only 2 pages. What Stackhouse overlooks is the fact that predestination is mentioned in the Bible where the idea of moral free will is never mentioned apart from Adam and Eve. He continues this thought with the angels in heaven having free will and that is why they fell, and that while in heaven we will all have free will but will only choose good because of all the good before us. The question comes, "Does this mean we can fall like the angels did because of our free will?" The answer has to be yes in Stackhouse's system. Which is completely false. Quite the conundrum, especially when trying to defend that God is all powerful and evil can exist. I am not saying this makes the answer easy, but at least it is biblical.

The above is the one that really had me perplexed and one that made me question the book as a whole, but then it continued in other areas. Stackhouse would sometimes open up a can of worms without defending them but would just say, "a lot of Christians (or theists) believe..." and then leave it. He did this with the following things:

The doctrine of hell being annihilation

Whether the Old Testament should be taken as literally true. At one point saying he is just being candid and then adding, "Doesn't this all sound unbelievable, like a fairy story for kids rather than a serious explanation of reality for adults?"

The Idea of macroevolution being true

He doesn't defend Original Sin, but says that it has been debated historically

It was hard to hear him open up these topics without really commenting on them. He just would say something about them and move on (besides original sin, which he went on to describe a sort of middle ground), leaving the reader confused of why he would mention it in the first place. What then happens is one wonders what Stackhouse's actual convictions are in these areas.

Beyond those things, the things that had me concerned were his positive affirmations. Those were as follows:

His belief that the Protoevangelium (Genesis 3:15) was not really a pronouncement of the gospel, or meant to be understood spiritually at all, but should be taken as simply a curse on the snake. He says that "later interpreters have seen all of this as having to do with spiritual warfare between Satan and humanity, but the text itself is enigmatic. "

He also states that he believes that although the Gospel writers agree on the whole and overarching understanding of who Christ was, that they sometimes vary and contradict each other in some details. Through this we can see that Stackhouse must not believe in the infallibility and inerrancy of Scripture.

As an added frustration, there are times when Stackhouse seems to defend, or at least acknowledge in part, that Christians, Contemporary Jews and Muslims all worship the same God. This seems to be a case to bring parties into agreement when there are too many lines of separation to do so.

Overall, this book will frustrate many, as it did myself. Just when you think it is getting good, he throws some odd curve ball into the mix that confuses things. I just can't get passed the bad to see the good in recommending this book to people. Although the description of faith and the resurrection are well done, the discussion of God's risk with free will, annihilation, OT kid stories, original sin, macroevolution, the Protoevangelium and the infallibility and inerrancy of God's word puts too much junk into the discussion. I cannot in my right mind recommend this book for reading. There is too much other good reading on the subjects at hand to have to wade through the bad theology in this book to get to the traditional and correct orthodoxy. Not Recommended.
Buy from:

InterVarsity Press

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