are Christians hypocrites?

Christians are hypocrites. What does this mean? Hypocrisy is believing one way, and acting another. A classic case would be a lung cancer specialist who is a chain smoker. So, where is Christian hypocrisy? There is none. The Christian faith cannot be called hypocritical. The life style of individuals who call themselves, “Christian,” needs to be examined.

When I say, “Contempt is sinful,” and then you catch me being contemptuous, you have a right to say, “You are sinning.” My response would have to be, “Yes, I am.” The proper solution for the situation is to confess my sin of contempt and intend to not be contemptuous in the future. This is a classic Christian response. There is no hypocrisy involved.

The Afrikaners in apartheid South Africa had a hypocrisy problem. Many Afrikaners considered themselves, “Christian,” though they purposely worked against people of different races. They were not responding to the black South Africans behavior, just the simple condition of their skin color. The Afrikaners would use Bible passages to support their view, though there is no support for this racial oppression in the Bible. So, when you called the Afrikaners who considered themselves “Christian”, “hypocrites,” you were correct.

could you be a fundamentalist!?

A
movement began in Europe during the 19th century-earlier 20th century to change the way the Bible was studied. Due to the rise of Darwinian evolution, amongst other influences, scholars began to dismiss the miracles recorded in the Bible. This led to the rejection of doctrine, like the virgin birth, as well.

There were strong reactions to this “modern” thought, in Scotland and America in particular, to counteract this. Out of this were published several volumes called, The Fundamentals (1909). People who supported the content of these volumes were called, “Fundamentalists.” The fundamentals were five basic teachings, which can be summed up in this way.

1. the inspiration and what the writers call infallibility of Scripture,
2. the deity of Christ (including his virgin birth),
3. the substitutionary atonement of his death,
4. his literal resurrection from the dead, and
5. his literal return at the Second Coming.

A modified way of saying this is:

1. The Bible is inspired by God and accomplishes exactly what God intends for it to accomplish
2. Jesus is God
3. Jesus died as a sacrifice for sin
4. Jesus really physically raised from the dead
5. Jesus is coming back

I would differ from the wording of The Fundamentals (e.g. “infallibility” language), but in essence, the five fundamentals are Basic Christian Teachings 101. If you are a Christian, look at the list, at least the modified one. You may find yourself a “neo-fundamentalist.” Wow, who would have thought.

Christians are closed-minded??

“Christians are closed-minded.”

This is a closed-minded statement. This is classic projection. Remember the definition?

"A defense mechanism in which the individual attributes to other people impulses and traits that he himself has but cannot accept. It is especially likely to occur when the person lacks insight into his own impulses and traits."

No one is trying to keep the evidence of Christianity from being examined more than people who call Christians close-minded. Take the Christian(among others) claim that there is a creator of the universe. Try to have a principled, reasonable discussion about the lack of evidence for there not being a creator of some form with someone who thinks you are close-minded.

Christian and non-Christian scientists have been trying to get the “lack of support for the mechanism of natural selection as explanation for the origins of life” on the table for many years now in the public arena. They have had some success, but the resistance of the established public arena Darwinian evolutionists to have everyone put there cards on the table and examine the evidence is not reasonable from a scientific theory standpoint. Examine the evidence means just as readily, “Examine the lack of evidence.”

There is a great debate going on in the public realm about this very issue. Currently Atlanta textbooks which teach Darwinian evolution have this disclaimer sticker in them.

“This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully, and critically considered.”

Now, I would have worded this differently as I don’t support the “theory vs. fact” language controversy. I may not have used a sticker at all. But the statement is overwhelmingly supported by the evidence. Origin of Life researchers have no conclusive evidence of the Darwinian nature as to the origins of life. They don’t have conclusive evidence of any nature.

Note that the sticker is not promoting creationism of any form or intelligent design. It is just saying examine the actual evidence, which is, of course, the scientific enterprise in the first place. Now some of the same people who call Christians close-minded are trying to have the sticker removed because it is an “unlawful promotion of religion.” Where is religion in the sticker? It is not there. The sticker calls for open-mindedness. That would be helpful.

are Christians mean?

We are looking at various misunderstandings of Christianity. Today is,

“Christians are mean spirited.”

There certainly are Christians who are mean. There are individual Christians who are nasty to non-Christians who don’t agree with them. Yet, the Bible says,

1 Peter:15-16
And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But you must do this in a gentle and respectful way.

There are individual Christians who are mean to other Christians who don’t agree with them. Yet, the Bible says,

2 Timothy 4:2
Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.

So, when someone says, “Christians are mean,” what they are really saying is, “Some Christians are not following the teachings of their faith.” A growing disciple of Jesus can’t be mean, if you are talking of repeated meanness.

Only those who aren’t Christian might be shocked by this. This might be the issue. Do you know Christians personally? Or are you getting your opinion from watching news clips of those who profess they are Christian? If your view of Christianity is some wacked out guy with a sign that says, “Fags burn in Hell!” then of course you are going to think Christians are mean. You need to get to know some real Christians.

who is a Christian?

Projection- "A defense mechanism in which the individual attributes to other people impulses and traits that he himself has but cannot accept. It is especially likely to occur when the person lacks insight into his own impulses and traits."

Matthew 7:3-4
And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? [4] How can you think of saying, 'Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye?

The first definition comes from the field of psychology. The second from Jesus. You see a lot of projection being used today. It is especially plentiful when Christianity is criticized in the public arena. I will look at some examples this week.

To introduce this whole series, let’s start with a definition of "Christian."

Christian- Someone who trusts in Jesus as their Lord and Savior and responds in obedience to his teachings.

When a person calls herself, “Christian,” this is a self-identifying label more than anything else. One is not born Christian. One becomes a Christian through trust in Jesus, made evident by how that person lives their life. Christian behavior is not a mystery. There are clear teachings of Jesus in the Bible, as well as the model of his life. So, in a real sense, someone doesn’t tell you they are a Christian; you can see that for yourself. No one can lay claim to trusting in Jesus as their Lord and Savior and not intend to live their life in obedience to Him.

“Christians” sin, but they do not do so in the authority of Jesus. Only right behavior can be done “in the name of Jesus.” Therefore, when people who self-identify as “Christian” sin and call on Jesus for support (e.g., Afrikaners and South African apartheid), they are not Christian. Jesus anticipated this would happen when he said,

Matthew 7:21
"Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as 'Lord,' but they still won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven.

So, the only test for behavior being “Christian” is this.

Does this action have the overall authority of the Scripture? Is this action modeled by Jesus?

come together for support

We have two Labrador retrievers, Dudley and Sarai. They play together, but not much. They lie around outside on separate beds and dream large chunks of time away. Until it gets cold. When the temperature hits in the 40’s and they are lying around, they can be found next to each other. Not as much companionship but they need each other for warmth.

When people need each other, it’s the same way. Pretty much independent and minding our own business but when times get a little uncomfortable, we find ourselves coming together for support. Well, don’t wait for a crisis.

Huddle on a regular basis with one or two or three friends whom you can connect with. Get even bolder and ask to pray for each other during the week. Get unbelievably intimate and talk about personal struggles that are keeping you from being your best, true self. Hold each other accountable for making progress on these struggles. If you aren’t careful, you may have just started a small group.

the Christian worldview on trial

After the victory of George Bush this week, there has been much “soul-searching” about why Senator Kerry lost by those who supported him. One common theme occurring is the vote by active Christians. Pretty much “ignorance” and “backward” keep creeping into the vocabulary of the critics. One example from “Slate” magazine contributor, Jane Smiley, had this to say.

Here is how ignorance works: First, they put the fear of God into you—if you don't believe in the literal word of the Bible, you will burn in hell. Of course, the literal word of the Bible is tremendously contradictory, and so you must abdicate all critical thinking, and accept a simple but logical system of belief that is dangerous to question.

Interesting observation, but somewhat irrational. I know Smiley is speaking in hyperbole (I would hope) for effect. But, this is the polar opposite of the Christian worldview! Ignorance? Tremendously contradictory? No critical thinking? Dangerous to question?

Ignorance- The Christian worldview is certainly reasonable concerning it’s understanding of human nature, it’s understanding of human relationships, and, of course, the belief system of an intelligent force independent of our universe causing the universe to come into existence. The evidences of psychology, social dynamics, and “big bang” universe all weigh strongly on the Christian worldview side, and make it quite reasonable.

Contradiction- First a definition. “The same statement made at the same time under the same conditions cannot be both true and false simultaneously.” I am still trying to find one of these in scripture. Difficulties? Paradoxes? Things I simply don’t understand? Of course. Quite a few of those. But “contradictory?” Examine the evidence; look for yourself.

No Critical thinking and dangerous to question?- The Bible itself says,

1 Thes. 5:21-22 (NLT)
But test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Keep away from every kind of evil.

O.K. Next?

K.I.S.S.

I recently read an excerpt on writing from C.S. Lewis.

“Always try to use the language that makes quite clear what you mean and your sentence couldn’t mean anything else.”

After going through this latest election cycle I suppose I ought to wait until you get up off the floor from laughing so hard… O.K. finished?

What a brilliant man. Solid and to the point. Also, a couple of weeks ago I attended a luncheon with speaker Ken Blanchard. Not C.S. Lewis, but solid, and to the point in his own way. Ken shared how he would ask CEO’s to give him the mission statements they had developed after $30 thousand consultation fees from “mission” experts. When asked why he collected so many mission statements he said, “I keep them next to my bed when I travel. If I have trouble getting to sleep...”

Keep it simple, saints. K.I.S.S. That is my motto lately for leaders. It is so critical that the people you lead know where you are going. After all, it’s only fair.

You know how frustrating it is when you are in a strange place and driving a different car and your friend says, “Just follow me.” Then you play stoplight bingo (rushing through a “yellow/red” to keep up). Your friend ends up waiting on the side of the road half the time. How much better that everyone knows where you are going. Then if they don’t want to follow, you’ll have given them a clear choice.

love is not about feelings

The greatest virtue is love. To will the good of the other. Love is about choices you make that benefit another person to become more of whom God desires him/her to be. We can personally affect the God-given destiny of other people by loving them.

We notice that love is about actions we take. Love is not about feelings. Your emotional condition when you are willing the good of another through the choices you make towards them is not important. What you do is what counts; not how you feel.

If love were a feeling we would not accomplish what God wants for us. Feelings are terrible sources for action. Feelings can be helpful servants of encouragement when we act with sacrifice and feelings can be helpful servants of guilt when we need to turn back to God. But if we base our actions on our feelings we are ruled in a way we are not designed.

Jesus has given instruction about this in scripture. When Jesus says, “Love your enemy,” he is not speaking of something that comes naturally. He is saying that we can become the kind of people who can will the good of those who wish to harm us. The most potent choice is to pray for your enemies. In the act of prayer you lift your enemies up to God and say, “God do exactly what is right in my enemy’s life.” If God is to punish them, so be it. If God is to open their eyes, amen. If God is to make them more forgiving toward us because we have wronged them in some way, then this too will be done. But feelings don’t need to enter into any of this.

We are also given “instruction” about not allowing our feelings to rule us in God’s natural design. For example, even though people are sometimes sexually attracted to their children or their siblings, in all cultures and during all times of human history, with isolated exceptions, incest is a strict taboo. Even though your desire might be to be sexually active with your immediate relative, it is forbidden. This is in atheist cultures as well as God-based cultures.

It would not be a loving thing to do to encourage incest because someone has that desire. Even if some day geneticists could isolate behavior genes (there is nothing close to this in actual research), and people are said to be “born with” that desire; feelings must be denied. Incest taboos are in place for consenting adults, as well, and so this is not an adult/child issue. In the case of incest, someone’s feelings must not be acted on and the loving thing to do as a culture is to strongly disapprove.

So whether through our conscience or the special instruction of the Bible we know love is not about feelings, but rather about choices.

love is...

We have a working definition for the word, “good.”

“That which God desires.”

Now, let’s consider the word, “love.” I think one of the greatest misinterpretations of language today is the definition of the word “love.”

A proper definition for love is to “will the good of the other.” So we make choices in our relationships that help others move in the direction of what God desires. We want what God wants for people and we act upon it.

This isn’t the common definition for “love” today. “Love” is not working to help others receive what God desires for them. Instead, “love” becomes working to help others receive what they want. Not helping someone fulfill God’s desires but instead helping someone fulfill his/her own desires.

So if loving someone is to accept them as a fellow human being and approve of their desires, then we are in total contradiction with the Bible and common sense.

The Bible is clear from beginning to end that if we follow our desires and our passions, “flesh”, or “nature” as it is called, we are in for a heap of trouble. Because we are sinful human beings, when we become our own measure for what is right and what is wrong, get ready for destruction. We are not good judges.

Common sense tells us that there are many things that we desire but they aren’t healthy. In fact, there are many things you don’t need the Bible to tell you about as far as what’s healthy and what’s not. Your God-given conscience left unmanipulated will tell you the same thing.

To encourage someone to live in an unhealthy way because they desire to make unwise choices is not an act of love. It is promoting deception which is not in God’s category but in someone elses (John 8:44).

postmodernism

There is a movement begun in European academic circles that has gained influence here called, “postmodernism.” All you need to know about it is this.

There is no absolute truth. “Truth” is culturally conditioned and so what is true for you may not be true for me. You don’t consider things as “good” or “evil” as these terms themselves are culturally conditioned. “Reality,” then, becomes your experience.

How do you live in postmodernism? Any way you want. Whatever you do is culturally conditioned anyway. There is no right and wrong.

The Christian view of the world is the exact opposite of postmodernism. There is absolute truth. Jesus. We don’t have 100% access to the mind of Jesus but the Bible is his words and teachings. With a careful and straightforward reading Jesus makes it possible for us to know him enough to point to true reality. Our experience is valuable but, unlike truth, it is not absolute because we are sinful people and our experience may be clouded by our sin.

In the Christian worldview there is good and evil.

“Good”- That which God desires
“Evil”- The absence of good

So, we know what “good” is if we know what God stands for. We know what evil is if we know what God stands for. Keep all of this in mind as we continue tomorrow.

gang of God

Yesterday, I saw 12 high school freshmen declare their intentions to follow Jesus before an audience of several hundred adults. If they were Baptist, which they weren’t, they would have been baptized. These young people had already been promised to God and connected to his family through Baptism earlier in life, and so the proper term for the rite is, “Affirmation of Baptism.”

So, what did happen? Well, take a dozen teenagers in the middle of LA who declare that they will continue to dedicate their lives to serving the needs of others and what do you have? 12 who say “Yes” to Jesus and thanks to their parents, pastors, and adult faith mentors who are guiding them along the way? It is amazing there was no news media at the event. After all, any time the gangs of LA hint at a truce the media clamors to get the story, and rightfully so. Any decrease in the ill will followed by evil action is welcome news.

But, if you want a real story, take 12 teens who are part of a different gang. A gang of hope. A gang of help. A gang that is a home to them. They follow that radical gang leader, Jesus, who has the guts to tell them they are responsible for their own attitudes and actions. They are not responsible for what others do to them in their families and in society, but they are responsible for how they respond (Mark 7:18-23). When Christians are “dissed” they wouldn’t think of “popping a cap” or whatever.

Their leader, Jesus, even tells them they are to serve rather than be served, and they listen. As this dozen joins the other youth in the “gang” of God, they infect society with everything that is right with our world. So, if there are any reporters out there who want a real story, you drop me a line. Peace, out.

compassionate revolution

Historians tell us that the Christian faith spread from Great Britain to India, as well as in North Africa and the Middle East. In less than 100 years! Why? A Christian will say primarily because of the power of the Holy Spirit. Historians, of course, don’t give credit to the Holy Spirit. But they do give credit to the Christian worldview, in particular two of Christianity’s key teachings. One is caring for the poor and one is caring for the sick.

The Christians were well known throughout the Roman Empire as the people who would reach out to those who were not in their own family or tribes. They would take people in who needed food and/or shelter. If you became part of the Christian community, you were never destitute. The Christians were also known as the ones who would heal the sick, and care for those whom others would ignore. The Christians would care for plague victims, for example.

So, with this one-two combination of compassion, the Christian faith swept through a large chunk of the world. A compassionate revolution that is still transforming the world once again, today.

the "Jesus" talk

Well, it’s time to give the “Jesus” talk when it comes to politics, elections, and current events. As Dallas Willard would say, “As we face life immersed in the Trinitarian Reality, it is a perfectly safe place to be.”

In other words, “Don’t sweat it.”

It is important to vote because this exercise in democracy is a key cornerstone of our nation. We are to be involved in this process as good citizens and being a good citizen is a byproduct of being a good disciple of Jesus. But, I really have to say, what seems less important, when all is said and done, is who actually is elected. Yes, I know it matters from a human and historical perspective, but from an eternal perspective, whoever is elected will not have the impact of the power of the Holy Spirit. Will it?

I have bet my life and my family’s life on Jesus. President Bush and John Kerry may or may not be good choices, but Jesus wins every time. He’s the one who has all the answers. Jesus is Lord.

So, I will vote on Tuesday. But I will vote on Sunday, too. I and my family will vote with our praises that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

let the voter beware

As I hope I have made clear, it is illogical to think you can possibly isolate your decision making from your faith. In fact, as I have alluded to before, it would be a glaring injustice if politicians of biblical faith ignored the Bible’s clear call to care for the needy and the poor (e.g. Matthew 25:31-46). The Bible’s call to protect children (e.g. Matthew 18:1-6). Can you imagine anyone standing and saying,

“I have a deep faith that impacts every area of my life. But I don’t want to impose my religious beliefs on others who don’t share my faith. Therefore, I must respectfully vote against any funds going toward this pediatric clinic.”

Now, we have to recognize there are indeed religions that do not place the same strong emphasis on caring for the poor, including poor children. There are worldviews, for example, where belief in reincarnation brings with it a belief in absolute fate. In this case, it may be wrong to interrupt someone’s life circumstances if they are living out their fate. You would be messing around with someone's just reward.

Fortunately, not everyone who follows these “fate”-based religions actually practices them in this way. But, even if people were to interpret their religion to mean you shouldn’t help those in need, including children, this doesn’t mean these same people don’t have the right to run for political office. In America we rely on the voter to decide.

should I vote for a non-Christian?

Yesterday, I wrote about supporting candidates for election who have the greatest chance to do good, rather than those who may match my values more closely. Here is where it starts getting interesting. Do I automatically vote for a Christian candidate over a non-Christian candidate? Two views.

Yes-
A candidate who acknowledges Jesus as Lord has at least shown he/she has an excellent view of reality. If he/she uses the Bible as their filter, than he/she uses the most brilliant resource available. A Christian may be more likely to make sure the anti-Christian bias of present government institutions (e.g. “Inherit the Wind” is still showing up in the public high school theatre circles, including our daughters!) doesn’t increase. If he/she is a man/woman of prayer to Jesus, than all the more likely Jesus guides this faithful Christian seeking his wisdom.

No-
A candidate who acknowledges Jesus as Lord may not necessarily follow the filter of the Bible. The same candidate may not be consistent in applying biblical principles. A Christian candidate may think he/she has God’s guidance on a decision, but it wasn’t God, it was his/her own projection, or worse, Satan’s temptation disguised and joined with their projection.

God also guides non-Christians in government (Romans 13). Biblical principles can be used by non-Christians to inform their decisions. Conscience is also a tool at God’s disposal. The non-Christian may simply have greater political influence and may, therefore, have a better chance to bring about change that is more conducive to good.

I would argue that the “No” position is more supportable, though “Yes” is quite attractive. I would tend to agree with Christian thinker Martin Luther who said, (paraphrase) ‘I would rather be ruled by a wise Muslim than a foolish Christian.’

voting the greatest good

If my faith necessarily informs my thinking, than do I use my faith filter to decide whom to vote for in elections and what to vote for when it comes to ballot initiatives? Yes, but there are some considerations to be made.

Greg Koukl speaks of “incrementalism.” This is the idea that to change something you work at it bit by bit. One works with others to move toward an outcome more closely reflecting his/her desired worldview. Here’s an example.

If you follow the biblical standard that human life begins at conception, then an embryo is a human being. Therefore, the idea that you develop embryos in a lab in order to harvest their stem cells, and discard that person afterwards is homicide. So, does that mean you would vote against a ballot initiative on promoting embryonic stem cell research? Yes, if you think the embryo is a human being, which is the biblical position (note: almost all biologists would also say that “life begins at conception”).

Would you then only vote for a candidate who opposes embryonic stem cell research? Here is where “incrementalism” comes in. You vote for the candidate whom you think has the best chance of getting elected and will promote the greatest good. Candidate A may reflect your values entirely and be unelectable. So to vote for him/her would only be a vote of conscience. Candidate B may support embryonic stem cell research, but may also be more likely to uphold biblical values in other areas. Candidate B also has a good chance on being elected. You go with B, who is able to promote the greater good. More tomorrow.

how else can you think?

So, should your faith be a resource for decision-making? I have argued that it has to be if it is truly your faith. Your filter. Now, if you are a Christian, this is completely logical. If Jesus is God, as Christians claim, then he is the creator of everything, including knowledge and logic itself. If the teachings of Jesus from the Bible are accurate, which again Christians claim, then they must be the most brilliant teachings in existence. So, obviously, if you are a Christian, it would be harmful and illogical to purposely ignore the teachings of Jesus when considering a decision to be made or an action to be taken.

Of course, one can misapply a teaching of Jesus, misinterpret it, or simply not understand it. “This side of heaven” we can’t say we are thinking exactly like Jesus thinks. But, there is a certain universal clarity to his teachings that inform the thinking of those who call themselves “Christian.” The point is to be a Christian and say I can’t let my faith cloud my thinking in the public arena is an unsupportable position from a faith and reason standard.

everyone has values

Everyone has a filter for thinking. Everyone views the world in a certain way. In the present election, there has been some talk about being cautious not to let your religious values affect your decision making. For some, this is considered a bad thing. This is not a logically possible point of view. We all have values that are based on something. So, whether it is biblical values or values based on Mao’s Little Red Book or values based on Star Trek, there is a filter.

This is not a consistent point of view, either. Some candidates say they can’t let their religious values affect their decisions on issues such as abortion. The thinking goes if you follow the biblical model of “life beginning at conception,” then abortion is taking a human life. But, the candidates say they don’t want to impose their beliefs on others and so they support abortion.

Here is the inconsistency, plain and simple. The Bible says we are to love our neighbor, which includes caring for those who are poor and in need. Well, the same candidates who say they don’t let their religious point of view affect their position on issues, rightfully support legislation to help the poor and those in need. This is clearly using their religious views to influence their decisions when addressing poverty. I see……

religion in politics?

Due to this being election time, there has been some talk of whether it is appropriate for a politician to use his/her faith as a filter for decisions he/she makes. That is an interesting question when you think on it deeply.

How do you make a decision in the first place? Here are some options.

1. You take prior information that you have processed, you seek out the wisdom of those with expertise in the area of concern, and you compare all of this with possible actions you could take. After careful consideration, you decide.

2. You decide quickly using your “gut” instinct

3. You think about what would be to your best personal advantage, and you decide on that

4. You find out what most people would think and you go with that

Only the first option seems right and reasonable. So, prior information and the wisdom of others is your filter. Then the questions become what and who? What prior information and whose expertise?

Everyone has a worldview they use as a filter. If your worldview is “keep religion out of the decision” then you can’t decide. Everyone has a “religion”; a filter through which they view the world.

If you are of the “no god” variety you are simply filtering through the “no god” faith. Most “no god” folks have faith in some form of Darwinian evolution. Their decisions are then of the classic “survival of the fittest” variety, and they would logically use number three from above to make a decision and we know that would be wrong for public policy.

So, the only option for sound decision making is to use a worldview of some sort and arrive at a decision. “Religion” in political decision making is then absolutely essential. It is just a matter of competing worldviews. Which worldview is most reasonable? Put your ideas on the table and let’s decide.

sin and stress

Confessing your sin to God and others doesn’t feel good. It is not a pleasurable experience to admit you have a problem. But, as I said yesterday, it is a welcome experience. It is a way to travel light. When we hold on to our sins, one of two unhealthy things happens. Either we get overwhelmed by our guilt or we push our guilt into our subconscious. Then sickness is usually right around the corner.

Yes, sickness. It is a well accepted theory that our immune system has connections to our stress level. Overwhelming guilt or internalized denial of guilt will bring extended periods of stress, which will cause the immune system to be overworked. Likely illness follows.
Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven,” when healing people. Indeed.

I didn't do it

Why is it so important to realize we are our own worst enemy? Without this personal inventory, we repeat the same unhealthy behavior over and over again. Then our creativity kicks in and we find a million reasons why our unhealthiness is just not so.

When we see this denial-type behavior in little kids we think it is cute. “I don’t know who colored on the wall, mommy.” Well, what we are really witnessing is a toddler preparing for a life of pain. A life of not taking responsibility.

I remember the Simpson episode where Bart becomes a celebrity by repeating the phrase, “I didn’t do it?” Hilarious, but fairly common for many of us.

“I didn’t do it” has become the motto of humankind. But there is hope. When you are in relationship with Jesus, he can change you into the type of person who willingly admits wrongdoing. For the one who follows Jesus, confessing sin becomes a welcome and critical element of life. Graciously and generously opening oneself up for forgiveness is an act of encouragement. One knows that better days of expanded life are ahead for one who is honest before God.

on being honest

I have talked about brain development (9/6/04) before. The brain doesn’t complete all of its connections in the judgment center (prefrontal cortex) until about 25 years old. Prior to this time, it would be physiologically normal for a person to not always make the wisest decisions, even if they wanted to. If you are a parent of a teenager, you know this to be the case. But, as an adult of over 25 years, you can still make choices that are not thought through carefully.

However, now there is a difference. Unless you have an abnormality or chemical imbalance in your brain, you are totally responsible for your attitudes and actions. You are physiologically quite able to think clearly and act accordingly. This seems so obvious, but it is not generally known to be true.

Too often, as an adult, I am told I am not responsible. Some politicians make promises that they will take care of me. Attorneys on the radio tell me it’s not my fault and they will help me convince a judge this is so. Even some churches get in the act. They tell me I am a victim of life’s circumstances and if I connect with them I will be healed. Well, almost.

I will be healed if I connect to the healer, Jesus. But the road to healing is to realize the source of almost all of my problems in life is staring at me in a mirror. Yes, it is I, Lord. I am not responsible for what is done to me. I am responsible for how I respond. So, the journey to healing and wholeness begins with being honest before God. Like standing before that great cosmic AA meeting.

“I am Dana, and I am a sinner.”

it starts with you

One of the difficulties of escaping from character disorder is most society is based upon it. It is the public way of life. It is the private way of life.

If something goes wrong in my life here are my options:

Public
It’s your fault
It’s the government’s fault

Private
It’s my spouse’s fault
It’s my parent’s fault

This even applies to whole nations. 20th century Christian thinker and political advisor Reinhold Neibuhr made this point when he applied this “rule” in international relations.

'The other side is more right than you think they are and you are more wrong than you think you are. The trick is to find the truth in between.'

The next time we are quick to point “out there” to show where the challenges of life come from, perhaps some personal inventory is where to start.

real guilt vs. false guilt

We are invited by God to know the difference between real guilt and false guilt. Real guilt is simply triggered by our God-given conscience. No one makes you “feel” guilty; it is your conscience that convicts you. Real guilt is a gift from God that results in acknowledging your sin.

The challenge to real guilt comes from people with character disorder who have a difficult time experiencing real guilt. They are always placing blame for everything outside of themselves. So, how do they ever feel they are guilty? Like everyone, they need the supernatural intervention of the Holy Spirit to show them their sin.

False guilt occurs when a person allows their neuroses to take over. Then they take the blame for everything. A classic scenario is the battered wife who agonizes about what she has done wrong to provoke her husband’s anger. False guilt makes it impossible to live the abundant life of Jesus because strongly neurotic people never sense the power of Christ working through them. They have a hard time believing he can do this. Again, supernatural intervention is necessary to bring about a sense of forgiveness and worth.

who is to blame?

When you are following Jesus, you don’t compare yourself to others. You can’t. Only God has enough understanding of you and me (Psalm 139:1), and he isn’t judging us on who we are, but whose we are. If we are connected to Jesus, we are judged pure by God. Not because of what we have done, but because of what he has done.

There is a challenge to this teaching. We are humans and we have certain ways of facing life. Years ago, author Scott Peck wrote an influential book, The Road Less Traveled. In it he talks about two types of people.

Neurotic- tend to place responsibility for problems in life on themselves.
Character Disorder- tend to place the responsibility for problems outside of themselves.

Peck says we have a bit of both characteristics within us, but one way of thinking is dominant. A neurotic is constantly beating up on himself/herself about their unworthiness. Someone with character disorder is always pointing a finger at someone or something else for their problems. They are never personally wrong. Do you see how this can be a challenge living out our relationship with Jesus? Neurotics have a difficult time realizing forgiveness and character disorder folks don’t think they need it. More tomorrow.

perfection again

Let’s continue to look at “perfection,” or “completeness.” Can we achieve it? This side of heaven I would argue we won’t, but logically I can’t say we can’t. Can I give my life over to Jesus so much that I will simply think like he thinks and act like he would act if he were me in that situation? This is the message Jesus gives. “Through me all things are possible.”

The life of a disciple is a process of maturing. If you are truly a disciple of Jesus, then the older you are, the more Christlike you will become. This is the claim made by Paul when he says “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” So, when you don’t see someone growing in Christlike maturity, it is reasonable to assume they are not learning from Jesus.

Dallas Willard says, “We can become the kind of people who can do whatever we want.” This is a striking statement. When our will is more and more in tune with God’s will, this will, indeed, be the case. A fully devoted follower of Christ.

can a Christian move toward perfection?

Can a Christian move towards perfection? In other words, wholly sell out to God? Apparently the apostle Paul thinks so.

…offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life.

Act as if it were true.

I think it was famous Green Bay Packers football coach, Vince Lombardi who said something along these lines. He would not allow his players to celebrate when they scored a touchdown, especially the person who scored. You were to quietly return the ball to the ref. Lombardi said this about reaching the end zone,

“Act as if you have been there before.”

For a disciple of Jesus, it is possible to do what you are not able to do on your own power. When you trust in Jesus he becomes your possibility not you. It is no longer, “What is your potential?” It is, “What is His potential?”

Act as if Jesus really is working in your life. Take risks reaching out to others. In a real sense you are perfectly capable of becoming perfectly capable.

perfect

Matthew 5:48 (NLT)
But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.


Jesus finishes his teaching on various sins (anger, contempt…) and then he drops this bombshell? Perfect? It seems that everything he has said up to this point is made impossible. No one is perfect. Only Jesus. Well, let’s think about this.

The word “perfect” from the bible language means, “complete.” “You are to be complete.” This completion is ongoing. Notice, “you are to be.” We are moving toward completeness as we are opening ourselves up to Jesus. As we are intentionally and willingly volunteering to be obedient to his teaching. To work on the sins we have looked at from Matthew 5 is enough for a lifetime. So is perfection possible? Come back tomorrow.

hatred

“Love your enemies.” Here we have the climax of what Christian life together can look like if we develop into the type of people who can do these things. Let’s review.

If we become the type of person who is centered on Jesus we don’t need to be angry when we feel personally attacked. We understand that there isn’t anything we can do out of anger that can’t be done better without anger. Jesus is not talking about a gut response, he is focusing on anger we allow to simmer and it ends up as contempt.

Contempt is the end result of anger unchecked and it is especially harmful. In contempt, we are treating a person as a non-person and Jesus always cares for people, no matter what. So, in contempt we find ourselves directly opposed to the will of God. When we become the kind of people who are not controlled by anger or contempt, we can deal with obsessive passions in our daily life, in particular obsessive sexual fantasy.

With Jesus greater than our anger, contempt, and obsessive lust, care and graciousness in our most intimate relationships becomes possible. No where is this more important than in our relationship with our spouse. We become the kind of people who can truly have his/her best interest at heart.

This attitude of graciousness moves outside the immediate family and we become transparent and real in our dealings with others. We don’t need to try to persuade or manipulate others to agree with our point of view or do what we want them to do. We simply make a request.

In our dealings with others we will be wronged, but we are always anchored to Jesus so lasting harm does not affect us. We can choose to trust Jesus will do what is exactly right by them. This carries on to those who choose to work against us. Those who “hate” us. We truly will their good and pray that God will work in their lives, as well as our own.

Now, if we can become this kind of person in our Christian communities, other Christians will become this kind of person to us. Together, we become a powerful example to the transformation that can happen through Jesus. We become an attractive influence on potential disciples who will want to know more about Him because they know us.

revenge

In a society that thrives on vengeance, Jesus says, “Turn the other cheek.” Don’t retaliate. Don’t lash out at someone who wrongs you. What planet does Jesus live on? First, what he is not saying.

Jesus is not giving a formula for government policy. In our public realm, we are to seek justice. Fairness. Government is in place to reward the good and punish evildoers (Romans 13).

Jesus is not giving instruction for Christians to allow themselves to be exploited and abused. “Turn the other cheek,” does not mean to be co-dependant to an abuser. To consider yourself not worthy of Christ’s love, to be forced to take your mind off Jesus is sinning against yourself. As an individual Christian, we are called to freely forgive as long as it doesn’t force us to sin.

Christians are to become the kind of people who don’t need to take offense. People who are not offendable. When you are connected to Jesus, you deal with others in a freeing way. You are not so concerned about your “rights” as you are your relationships with other Christians. You can forgive and seek to restore relationship with someone who has wronged you. This can only be done under the power of the Holy Spirit. And if someone won’t seek your forgiveness, you don’t try to get even with them. You remember, regardless of what someone does to you, God will do exactly what is right by them.

verbal manipulation/ "spinning"

Words are essential. Jesus is called, “The Word” (John 1:1). Words create all of existence. God spoke all energy, matter, space, and time into being. “Then God said…” So, where does this leave us?

Be careful with your words. Jesus tackles verbal manipulation next in his list in the Sermon on the Mount. Simple, clear, unambiguous language is called for in our relationship with each other. No trying to get your way by tripping someone up with what you are saying. No trying to persuade using verbal tactics. In modern terms, disciples of Jesus don’t use “spin” to get their way.

Matthew 5:37 (NLT)
Just say a simple, 'Yes, I will,' or 'No, I won't.' Your word is enough. To strengthen your promise with a vow shows that something is wrong.


How different than the way society operates. Whole businesses are, in part, based on nuances and extreme language. It is only too obvious to mention the political season we are in. Or who will ever forget this quote, “It depends on what your definition of the word, ‘is,’ is.”

In the middle of all of this bombardment of “words weapons” Jesus says, “Stop.” Disciples don’t need to fret about words. When your life is centered on Jesus, you are perfectly safe to “just say, ‘No,’ or, ‘Yes,’ for that matter.” I don’t need to try to get you to see my way using technique. I can be open to you so you can clearly see where I am coming from. If we don’t agree, fine. Let’s stay in relationship we will discover what Jesus is up to down the road. When you aren’t anxious over what is being said or left unsaid you are able to live within the strengths of your best true self.

divorce

God set up the building block of society from the beginning.

Genesis 2:24 This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

Marriage is the original plan. A coming together for the purpose of building each other up to be the person God intends for you to be. “Complementarity” is the technical term. God intends for wives to “complete” their husbands and husbands “complete” their wives. Every married couple knows this instinctually. In a healthy marriage one always realizes the debt one owes to the “gut level” influence of his/her spouse.

Marriage is also the bond of trust that protects the basic family that God declared, “very good.”

Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and told them, "Multiply and fill the earth and subdue it."

Our most sacred cause is to raise children who continue to fulfill God’s destiny of caring for the world until Jesus brings in the “new heaven and the new earth.” This is God's first command.

The most intricate relationship combined with the most sacred trust given to us by God? Now we know why divorce is so devastating. Divorce is declaring God wrong on his most basic plan.

Jesus acknowledges the devastation of ripping apart the very fabric of God’s original building block of life. Divorce? He says, “No.” And he gives means to stay together.
The very foundation of the Christian life, giving yourself for the sake of the other, is what it takes to stay together. Following Jesus, you become the kind of person who wouldn’t think of splitting what God joins. Faithfulness is the DNA of being a disciple and a spouse.

lust

Matthew 5:28
But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Christians have done some strange things because they misinterpret this passage. In particular the term, “lust.” The false thinking goes, when you are attracted to a woman you are looking at, you are committing a sin. Monks in medieval times would brag about not seeing a woman for decades, as if it was an admirable thing. Some would even boast of not seeing their mother or sister for years.

I would argue, this is not what Jesus is getting at. “Lust” is not simple physical attraction. The closest English translation from the original Greek (epithumeo) of this Bible passage is, “to obsessively long for.” In other words, “to fantasize about.”

“Whoever excessively fantasizes about a woman has already committed adultery…”

It’s not as if the monks couldn’t have had a strong imagination without having women present. So let’s get practical.

If you are a married man, you can look at attractive women, just keep your thought life on the wife. If you are single, be attracted, by all means, just don’t produce running movies of women in your mind starring you and them, NC 17. Obviously, for women the same holds true in reverse. Married, keep mind on mate, single, no fantasizing.

Now, it is also true that you don’t need to up the odds for fantasy. So, watch what you are watching. Don’t put yourself in situations where obsessive longing is more likely to occur.

contempt

“Raca.” This is a word from the bible that wasn’t even translated when it appeared in the King James Version. In Matthew 5:22 we read

and whosoever shall say to his brother, “Raca,” shall be in danger of the council.

“Raca” means, “empty one” or “worthless.” It is a term of utter contempt. Contempt is the finishing touch of anger. You are so mad at the other person that eventually he/she has no worth for you. We see this contempt all around us, in particular during the time of elections as we are experiencing now. No wonder this is called, “The Silly Season.”

The immaturity of adult public figures is astounding. The contempt that is shown is amazing. What used to be termed, “polite society,” is no more. So, for Christians, it is especially important not to fall into the world’s trap of contempt. We are called to:

Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. (Philippians 2:3)

Why is contempt so dangerous? Because you become the type of person who cannot love. Cannot will the good of another. Jesus says if you love him you will do what he says (John 14:23). What he says is, “Love others.”

Contempt is also dangerous because it is so addictive. It makes you feel so superior. By having utter contempt for someone it must mean that you are personally so much better. It places you in the absolutely worst situation possible to ever grow in faith.

anger

Jesus starts the list of sins that harm our relationships with anger. This is appropriate. Anger is at the center of most of our trouble. When we let anger have a home in our lives we suffer tremendously. Aggressive behavior and rage are rooted in anger. So is depression. Depression is anger swallowed.

The solutions for anger read more like excuses for anger. You have been victimized. You have a right to be angry. Let your anger out. Don’t let it fester inside. But, the only real solution for anger is to become the kind of person who doesn’t get angry.

When Dallas speaks of anger, people almost get, well, angry at him. He makes this statement.

“There is nothing you can do out of anger that can’t be done better without it.”

“But, what about Jesus when he drove out the moneychangers?” you ask.

“I trust Jesus with the anger. I don’t trust us. There are many things I trust Jesus to be able to handle that I don’t trust people to do.”

So, how does one become the kind of person who doesn’t get angry? You can’t attack this directly. “I will not get angry!!” doesn’t work. No, you become the kind of person who realizes your worth comes from your relationship with Jesus. When you are slighted or verbally attacked by someone else, it’s not the end of the world. You are in a perfectly safe place focused on Jesus. I like to take the big picture. In any given situation, one hundred years from now, what difference does it make? And there’s always, “Count to ten…”

dealing with sin

The trouble with much sin is it becomes a habit. Then it seems so desperately hard to break. If you take the section of the Bible, commonly called, “The Sermon on the Mount,” Matthew 5, there is a list of sinful behavior Jesus is talking about. It seems to go in progression. Dallas claims that the order Jesus uses is on purpose. There is a process for the ability to overcome the sin as one moves from anger onward. Here are the sins.

Anger Matthew 5:21-22
Contempt 5:22
Lust 5:27-28
Divorce 5:31-32
Verbal Manipulation 5:33-37
Revenge 5:38-42
Hate 5:43-44

This list of sin covers the human condition quite well, don’t you think? Especially as it deals with our relationships with others. Now, the whole idea is to not try to follow Jesus’ teaching directly here. “I will just stop myself from getting angry,” and so on. Matthew 5 is specifically meant for how we are to live as Christians in community with other Christians. The assumption is we can break the cycle of these sins under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit. These are not a set of rules for any person to follow. These are descriptions of what life can look like when, working with the Holy Spirit, you become the kind of person who will not give in to the sin mentioned.

I will comment on each one of these sins this coming week.

you don't have to sin

You don’t have to sin. You don’t have to turn away from God. There is a false modesty that challenges following Jesus. “Woe is me.” The idea that, “I can’t help it; I just have to sin,” creeps into everyday life. It’s as if you almost relish that you get to be a “bad” girl or a “bad” boy.

Well, God has one thing to say to this way of thinking. “Grow up.”

Yes, we are sinful human beings. O.K. so what? We can get better. In fact, we can become the kind of people who will not be challenged by certain sins any more. You can learn not to gossip, for instance. Not to speak ill about someone behind his/her back. It is possible to hold your tongue. How? By practicing encouragement. By finding ways to speak well of people to their face. By considering someone from the perspective of Jesus. When Jesus looks at him/her, what does he see?

Just because you are a sinner, doesn’t mean you have to sin.

designed to follow Jesus

You are designed to follow Jesus. Consider this.

Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)
Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light."

The “yoke” is used to keep two oxen working together. If one goes off in a different direction, the plowing doesn’t work. The stronger ox works with the weaker. The purpose of the yoke is to keep the direction and the effort in harmony.

When you connect with Jesus and follow him, you are “yoked” to him. You never face life alone. Being yoked, you don’t remain passive. You work with him.

Dallas Willard says it this way:

“Jesus said, ‘Without me, you can do nothing.’ He could just as easily said, ‘If you do nothing, it will certainly be without me.’”

christianity easy?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was an influential teacher last century. He wrote an excellent book titled The Cost of Discipleship. In it he laid out the problem of focusing on grace simply as forgiveness. Bonhoeffer called into question receiving grace with no intention of following Jesus. He called this grace, “cheap grace.” He wrote of how difficult it is to really follow Christ.

Dallas Willard also stresses that grace is more than forgiveness of sin. But he talks about discipleship in a different way. He talks about the cost of not being a disciple. In other words, the difficult life is when you are not following the ways of Jesus. Think about it.

If you are consciously or subconsciously following other principles or values than those of Jesus, you are following a way of life you weren’t designed for. God created you to follow Jesus. It would be like taking a PC and installing an Apple operating system. You were created for Windows and you are trying to work through an OS life.
No, in a way, the Christian life is meant to be easy. When you intend to follow the teachings of Jesus and you follow through, you are operating exactly how you are designed. Smooth.

a father's time out

Time out from Dallas Willard teachings today. October 2nd is our boys’ birthday. Greg and David are 13 today. Nancy and I officially enter the realm of raising teenagers, as we now have three. Let me say a few words about our young men.

Greg has a gentle heart and a playful spirit. What I remember most of his childhood is even as a little toddler, he didn’t like to hold my hand. He always wanted to charge ahead. Even today, nothing seems to phase him. One thing that warms my heart is whenever he sees me coming, it delights him to see me. Unless he knows he is going to get yelled at.

David is a deep and curious soul. What I remember most of his childhood is his connection to God at such an early age. Once at around age 4 he woke from a dream and said God told him to take milk and lemon juice when you are sick. One name we had for him was, “Healer,” as he would pray for your healing when necessary. What warms my heart about David is the admiration he has for me as his father. He makes being a good dad a pleasure.

Happy Birthday, my fine young men. May you continue to discover what Jesus has ahead for you.

two keys to following Jesus

If attending worship alone is not the path to becoming more Christlike, then what is? Dallas has much to say on this. The key is not to attempt spiritual growth head on. This is not a diet and exercise program. This is not “if I just pray, read the Bible, join a small group, and have a quiet time then I will grow” discipleship. O, you would be wise to do all those things and more, but you will resist doing them because your human self will tell you it is impossible to keep at it. Kind of like your diet and exercise program. A lot of good intention but not much follow-through.

The two keys to being a disciple are this.

1. You understand why it is a good idea to face your life as Jesus would face it if he were you.

Why would you want to become more like Jesus? What did he say? ‘If you live like me you will lose your worries and face anything in life completely safe.’

Wow! Really? Yes

2. You actually want to live life in this way.

You have to make a conscious choice to want to follow Jesus . You have to arrange and rearrange your life to put yourself in the position to learn from Jesus in any way you can. This means some obvious things like praying, studying the Bible, helping others out. And some other things that are not so obvious like actually doing what he commanded.

Take revenge for instance. Can you become the kind of person who doesn’t take revenge? Try it. For a month, do not try to get even with someone who has wronged you. Do not strike back.

I will write more on the keys to being a disciple.

worship only?

Discipleship is being a student Jesus. Learning from him and following up with what you have learned. So, how can the vast majority of Christians trust in Jesus, but not intend to actually follow him? I don’t think this is a conscious decision. It is almost a given. How did we get here?

The main influence of non-discipleship Christianity is “Sunday morning thinking.” Most Christians believe that attendance is discipleship. “I go to church” is the equivalent of “I am a disciple of Jesus.” They view attending worship as the sum of Christian life instead of being a time for worship in community in the midst of a Christian life. Let’s be honest. Sunday morning worship services alone don’t build up apprentices of Jesus.

When we invite someone who is not a Christian to a worship service, this is a good thing. This is where most potential Christians connect. But, what we want to keep in mind always is we are not simply inviting someone to church, we are inviting them into a life. So, how can we best work this out? Stay tuned.

love and obey?

In Luther’s day (1500’s) the main challenge for God’s people is thinking they have to do a long list of things in order to deserve God’s favor. There are pilgrimages to different cities in order to look at relics. In other words, you would get forgiveness points, as it were, for visiting museums with things like hairs from the beard of John the Baptist, or Peter’s toenail or whatever. Everyone is trying to earn God’s love.

So Luther placed a strong emphasis on God’s underserved favor for us. Grace. It is not what you do that is important; it is what Jesus has already done. This is a wonderful correction for trying to earn the love of God or buy it.

But this isn’t really our challenge today. Trying to earn God’s favor. O, there is still plenty of that going around, but the real challenge today is actually intending to follow Jesus. To be obedient to his teachings. An easy test of how far we have to go is to measure your emotional response when I say these two words.

“Love.”

“Obey.”

How did you feel when you read each of these words? Warm and fuzzy with the first? “Yuck” with the second? Now you see how far we have to go. Love is a beautiful thing. Obedience is a beautiful thing. To obey is simply to respond to God’s love by following the teachings of Jesus so that you respond more and more like Jesus would respond if he were you in any given situation.

The greatest challenge of the church today is to say you love Jesus, you trust in him, but you really have no intention of following him. That thought never even crossed your mind.

never read a bible verse

Greg Koukl has a saying, “Never read a bible verse.” The verses of the Bible are to be in context. They are addressing situations. One of the biggest challenges for the church today is the reading of only one Bible verse out of its context.

Christians today think that all that is necessary is to accept Jesus as your personal Savior and then… What? Then what? You see too often, the church has a plan to reach potential Christians, but once they are reached there is no clear plan. It sounds like:

“You are saved and now you wait to die so you can go to heaven.”

It’s true. When you are saved you do get to go to heaven. But salvation is so much more than that. Dallas Willard talks about salvation as being involved through Jesus with what God is doing. That’s now, as well as heaven. So, if we are to work with God for the rest of our lives through eternity, then where did we get the idea that we don’t do anything except accept?

It goes back to one Bible verse. Martin Luther was writing against a corrupt church that was selling forgiveness of sins on pieces of paper. If you bought it you were forgiven. There were other ways the church was promoting doing stuff to get in good with God. Luther used a bible verse to say, “No!”

Ephesians 2:8 (NLT)
God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

Saved by grace, as it were. Revolutionized the church. But the message soon became:

“Saved by grace? You don’t have to do anything!”

And so, in many ways, this is the legacy we are left with. Now, to be fair with Luther, he read the verse in context. He said we do good works as a response of thanks for what God did through Jesus by saving us. Luther didn’t just read one bible verse. Read more.

Ephes. 2:9-10 (NLT)
Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. [10] For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

We are saved to make it possible to do good things as much as we are saved to avoid hell and live in heaven. I will expand on that thought tomorrow.

why do we need Jesus?

There is a real quick answer to the question, “Why do we need Jesus?” To have our sins forgiven. The Bible says we can’t be with God for eternity unless we are pure (Habakkuk 1:13). We are made pure when we trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus being for us personally. When we are connected with the forgiveness of Jesus we live with him forever. We call this forgiveness, “Grace.” It is given to us as a gift from God. We can’t earn it in any way through our human efforts. But that is not all that grace is.

“Even if you did not sin you would need grace.” (Dallas Willard)

In our lives now, we need God’s power to do the things we cannot do on our own effort. To live the abundant life now and in our eternal future, grace provides fuel for living, not just forgiveness. Forgiveness is important, but grace is so much more. Grace is necessary to have access to the power of God in order to fulfill our destiny in his plans. Our destiny is this:

“To live life as Jesus would live it if he were I in any given situation.” (DW)

do something

Dallas Willard spent yesterday at our local church teaching a group of men and then a group of pastors. When Dallas speaks you always come away more in awe of Jesus. What an unusual quality. Usually when someone of such prominence in Christian circles speaks you come away in awe of the speaker.

Here is one of his gems.

“Jesus said, ‘Without me you can do nothing.' To which he could add, ‘And if you do nothing it will certainly be without me.’”

The Christian life is working with Jesus. It is not being “saved” by him and then just sitting back and wait. We are to fulfill our destiny in his plan. We are to do something. When we make ourselves available Jesus can take over with his power.

Dallas uses the analogy of power steering. I am old enough to have driven cars without power steering. So, the comparison works for me. Without power steering, you are pulling on that wheel pretty hard. There are times when two hands are called for. With power steering, you still have to start the turn, but then the power takes over. You can steer with one finger, but you still have to move it before the power takes over.

Jesus provides the power, but you still have to do something.

sex disneyland

We have a big church in a wealthy area of town up in the hills overlooking the Westside on one side and the Valley on the other. Well, the pastor said recently they had a problem with their parking lot at night. There would be cars parked there at all hours. He got some cops to go out there with him and here is what they found.

Sex Disneyland. The people were parking in the lot and then they were shuttled by numerous tinted window Escalades. Destination? A couple of local mansions where they were having sex parties. Couples and single women only. They would come anonymously, jump into the waiting vehicles, go at it for a few hours with whoever doing whatever, and then return to the church parking lot, hop in their cars and go home.

My friend Mark said the strangest thing was who these people were. They looked like they lived in the area. Typical people you would meet at the mall or Saturday morning AYSO games. Except they were being filmed for cheap instant porno DVD’s the night before.

Now the audacity of using a church parking lot for Sodom and Gomorrah might have gone too far. I mean, come on. But, the fact that it happened is all too understandable. We live in the porno capital of the world. DVD’s, video’s, and internet porn is headquartered in various locations throughout a ten mile radius of where I am posting this. So, too, the filming. It’s done in the homes and backyards of houses I drive by every day.
But you wouldn’t know it. The Valley’s best kept secret. Like evil often does, it blends in nicely. So, what can I say? It’s sick. It’s real. And if God decides it’s time for sulfur from the sky again ala S and G, the original, then I am going to be right in the middle. I’m sharing my faith as fast as I can, but look what we are up against? Oh well, I’ll stick with Jesus and see where he takes me for a ride.

at one with the universe?

I saw a report yesterday about yet another attempt to say spirituality is wired into our genes. Let's think about that for a moment.

What is meant by spirituality? Well, the author used the key phrase, "You feel at one with all that surrounds you" or something to that effect. If you answered, "yes" then you are on your way to being considered spiritual.

Well, I must not be spriritual. I don't feel at one with all that surrounds me. In fact, I feel a bit disjointed with all that surrounds me most of the time.

People- I have no at-one-ness with someone who wants to kill me and my family because we are Christian. I have no bond with someone who wants to kill me and my family because I am an American. I pray for those who wish me dead, but I do not feel any connectedness.

"Can't we all just get along?"- Rodney King

"No we can't. We have to develop into the kind of people who can get along."- Dallas Willard

Place- I am not at-one with dust. I used to be a semi-clean freak. So, for almost half my life I choose to live in a desert. It's LA, but it's still a desert. No, dust here, right?

Thing- I am not at-one with small print. I have glasses. I can squint. But it seems to me, if you want me to know something, you wouldn't hide it in tiny font. Unless you didn't want me to know something. Then, that's deception. And I'm not down with that.

what would Jesus do?

With the yellow “livestrong” Lance Armstrong bracelets popping up everywhere, I thought it was time to go “old school” and start wearing a “WWJD” bracelet again. After all, it’s still cool. Allen Iversen continues to wear his.

In review, WWJD stands for, “What would Jesus do?” Homer Simpson thought it meant “What would Geppetto Do?” but that is for another day. So, what would Jesus do? Quite frankly, I am not so sure. I know he told his main students (disciples) they are to teach everything he commanded to other people (Matthew 28:20). What he commanded is one thing but the resulting actions is another. We might be surprised at some actions Jesus takes in a given situation, but we would know the thinking behind the action through what he taught. “WWJD” is a good reminder, but it may be more helpful to start out with a “WDJT” bracelet. “What did Jesus teach?” Too often people are quick to assume what Jesus would do without the knowledge and understanding of what he taught. “WDJT” bracelets for everyone.

everyone will be saved?

“God will save everyone in the end.” This is called “universalism.” In the designer faith, it means that I need Jesus as my Savior, but someone else doesn’t. How does a Christian come to this contradiction?

Universalism is based on false logic and emotion. “How could God do such a thing?” “A loving God will always forgive.” The trouble with this line of thinking is mistaking the identity of the one who chooses. It isn’t God doing “such a thing.” God does always forgive but this doesn’t mean his forgiveness is accepted.


Doesn’t this mean God is unnecessarily cruel? After all, he has the ability to save everyone, doesn’t he? Well, let’s consider this. If someone has rejected Jesus and chosen not to worship him or trust in him, you would say that person does not want Jesus. If you don’t want Jesus all your life and then you die and face him in judgment, who is going to want to live with Jesus forever when he/she is proven wrong? No one would choose this. He/she has become the kind of person who cannot want Jesus. In fact, heaven would be torture for such a person. No, when it comes to heaven or hell, the person who has chosen to reject Jesus in this life chooses hell.

Besides, universalism is not supported in the Bible. The Bible speaks of heaven and hell. The Bible speaks of those who will live with Jesus forever and those who will be separated from Jesus forever. All people will know Jesus is God, they just won’t all be saved.

God honors human freedom so much he allows us to reject him.

we all worship the same God?

So what are some of the designer faith teachings that some add to their Christianity? I’ll look at several. Today, let’s start with a common statement,

“We all worship the same God.”

Well, yes and no. Yes, if you are worshipping a being outside of yourself. There is only one God. But, no, because you aren’t worshipping the same God.

People use the elephant story to try to explain the belief that Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, and so forth all worship the same God. Several blind men discover an elephant and each tries to explain it. One touches the leg and says, “It is like a large tree.” Another grabs the trunk and says, “No, it is like a snake.” Another grabs the tail and says, “No, it is like a big broom.”

You see, all of them are explaining the same elephant from a different perspective. Now, this is a clever story, but it breaks down because Christianity explains that elephant in reality. Ken Samples and Fuz Rana from Reasons to Believe say it well.

‘A more accurate story about God is this. In the Christian view of God, Jesus heals the blind men and they can clearly see. Or, in the Christian version of this story, the elephant speaks and tells the blind men who he is.’
The Christian claim that God has already revealed himself in Jesus makes other viewpoints unnecessary. If you wish to know about God, look to Jesus. Put Jesus on the table, along with the other views, and then let’s see which is the clearest view of reality. Put it to the test.

designer faith

I like to joke with people and say, “The church is the only voluntary organization in existence today where people go to consistently be told they are wrong.” Obviously, this is an exaggeration, but if the center of human nature is narcissism, “it’s all about me and what I think,” then it is not too much of a stretch. The first basic message we learn in church is “Jesus is Lord and we are not.”

A healthy church community is a place where we open ourselves up to the message of Jesus where he says, “My way works. Learn from me and connect with me and I will guide your development to be the person I have destined you to be.” In this development, clear teaching and trusted Christian friends who are also on this journey provide feedback.

Without a church community guiding you in a basic biblical model of faith, and calling into question places where you stray, it is too tempting to design a faith that reflects whatever you want. It’s like going to Coldstones for ice cream. If you don’t know Coldstones, these are ice cream shops that not only have a ton of flavor choices, but also a ton of additives, like crushed Heath bar and gummi bears. You order a base ice cream and then as many additions as you choose and then they crush it together, mix it up, and there you go.

Whenever someone says, “I am very spiritual, I just don’t go to church,” I hear, “I really benefit from religious teachings, but I don’t want to be challenged. I don't want what I think ever questioned. I don’t want to take the chance that I am not going to be able to do exactly what I want.”
Now, I don’t think people realize this might be their meaning. I do know there are other reasons people who are “spiritual” don’t participate in “spiritual” communities. I just can’t help thinking, “Coldstones.”

where do taboos come from?

Why do human beings throughout history have taboos against certain behaviors? Whether thousands of years ago or modern times, whether in remote jungles or urban areas, there are certain behaviors that are universally condemned. How is it that humans have a conscience?

What are some of these behaviors that are condemned and punished? Examples:

• torturing children for pleasure
• incest
• rape

The Darwinian evolution model doesn’t have any mechanism to explain these moral codes. There is something much greater than the brain going on here.

Whether you call it a "soul" or "conscience" or anything else, it is not simply brain connections. It is given to us from the outside. The evidence is some caring, intelligent, outside agent has given us this ability to know certain things are wrong. I call this agent, "God."

how do you get consciousness from material?

How does consciousness originate from material alone? If you follow Darwinian evolution then you are left with everything consisting of material. The theory is challenged in a compelling way by consciousness. How can thought itself be simply material?

Well, the evidence shows it’s not. We have no evidence that you are simply your body parts. The evidence weighs in the other direction. You are the thing that has parts. There is much support for the existence of something beyond the tissue and circuitry of the brain.

For example, studies have consistently verified patients who had no brain activity measured (popularly called “brain dead”) who came back to consciousness. They report experiencing memories and reasoning during the time the brain was not functioning that prove to be accurate.

It is also logical to assume that thought is not simply material. Think of this.

• Persuade someone there is no such thing as persuasion.
  
• You may know the makeup of my brain, but try to predict my free decisions.

how do you get life from non-life?

How do you get life from non-life? There is no Darwinian evolution explanation for the origin of the first living cells. Find a scientifically supported theory for the origin of life. You won’t. You will get a lot of guesses. There is no specific research that shows this is possible.

Because the evidence for explaining getting life from non-life is non-existent, there is a big push to try to explain life on earth coming from outer space. Life on Mars, moons of Venus, moons of Jupiter and so on. This doesn’t solve the problem of origin of life, however. Just shifts the location. If it were from Mars, how do you get life from non-life on Mars?
The weight of the evidence is that the first living cells were specifically designed by a Creator. The best explanation is they were miraculously formed. And that’s just a start. Let alone how you get body structures and organs and a brain and, well, you. Random chance?

how do you get something from nothing?

Science research overwhelming supports a physical universe with a beginning. A moment before creation there was no space, matter, energy or time. Then suddenly everything in our physical universe came into existence. This is informally labeled, “The Big Bang.” There are many different types of big bang theories, but they all have the same general principles. They all support a universe that has a beginning.

There are philosophical arguments that there are countless universes and we are just in one that supports life. There are philosophical arguments that our universe was birthed from another universe and so on and so on. I say philosophical because there is no scientific research showing anything but a big bang single creation event. All else is imagination, thus far.

Two of the most basic laws of physics are:

1. Nothing comes from nothing
2. Something had to
   

I call that something “God.”

for the sake of others

As I have said, if the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus are historically reliable, than it would make sense to consider him God. Only God could do what he did. So, then my task is not to decide whether he is worthy to be followed, my task is to decide whether I want what he wants or what I want. If I choose to follow my own path, then I become my own god. Do I trust myself to live a healthy life? Do I trust myself to live for the sake of others, a key sign of human maturity?
An interesting observation is every great sign of human maturity for the sake of the other has been led by people who claim Jesus as their Savior. The list is long. Ending slavery. Establishing child labor laws. Womens rights. Civil rights. Hospitals.Not that non-Christians of goodwill were not involved in these movements, as well, only that they were spearheaded in the name of Jesus.

innocent suffering

When children are murdered, as they were by the militant Islamists in Beslan, Russia, the question of suffering and the existence of God comes up once again. How can there be a God who allowed such an evil event to happen? This dilemma is sometimes called, “The Problem of Evil.”

Here are some basic observations.

By God’s design, in order for him to be in personal relationship with humans, we have to be able to sin. We have to be able to say, No,” to God. If we are forced to love and forced to do good then we are robots. So, because humans have the freedom to reject God, they have the freedom to choose evil.

Now, if the evidence of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is historically reliable, then the question of “how can there be a God” isn’t meaningful. If the evidence is reliable, Jesus is God. “What kind of God would allow this innocent suffering” is a better question. Then we can examine what Jesus actually said about life and suffering, what Jesus did, and what Jesus does.

is the bible without error?

Is the Bible without error? Why are you asking this question? Do you think that the Bible has to be without error in order for you to trust in Jesus? I don't. For me, one thing has to be historically accurate in order for me to trust in Jesus. The physical death and resurrection of Jesus. In other words, Jesus died and rose from the dead physically, never to die again.

Now, I do trust in the accuracy of the Bible. I'm just saying that if you were to discover errors in some of the Bible's writings, it would not cancel out the death and resurrection. As Greg Koukl says, 'It's not the inerrancy of Scripture that is essential, it is the inerrancy of the death and resurrection of Jesus.' So, though I do trust in the accuracy of the Bible, the historical evidence of the death and resurrection of Jesus is where I stake my claim that Jesus is who he says he is.

After rising from the dead, never to die again, everything else is no big deal. If he has the power to raise from the dead and never die again, then he must have some powerful "kung fu." (Sorry, too many martial arts movies lately) Seriously, if the historical evidence supports his resurrection, then it would be reasonable to accept the accuracy of what he says about himself and it would be reasonable to follow his teachings.

I remember

September 11 is a memorable day in my life. It will give a sense of history for the rest of my life. I was a young boy when Kennedy was killed. I remember. I was in junior high when Martin Luther King Jr, and Bobby Kennedy were killed. I remember. I was in high school when the Palestinian terrorists killed the Israeli athletes at the Olympics in Munich. I remember. Then, 3 years ago, today. I remember.

I was at the health club riding an exercise bike watching the news when the second jet hit the next tower. I thought that was a replay of the first. No replay.

So, what have I learned? Everyone has a point of view. Everyone has guiding principles to their lives. When people act on those principles, it may be for good or for evil. Some of these principles may be sourced in sacred books. Some may be fostered by an examination of the natural world. Some may be based on how someone feels at a given moment. None of this is neutral. None of this can be ignored. What we are left with is to try to figure out which principles have the best view of reality. Which principles are based on the strongest evidence. Then one needs to decide if one wishes to follow these or that which is less clear.

sticks and stones

Ad homonim attacks are standard today. This occurs when you don’t want to support your position or you can’t logically support your position. Then you call the other person names and question their character or their intelligence. Loaded words are usually good to try to stop debate before it even starts.

You are a: bigot, Nazi, Ku Klux Klan, Hitler, fascist, racist, sexist, fundamentalist, leftist

You are being: intolerant, close-minded, bigoted, simplistic, extremist

In almost all cases, when ad homonim attack is used the person has surrendered their logic. Almost always this name calling is a substitute for a weak position that is difficult to support using logic and clear thought.

If someone uses an ad homonim attack on you for simply stating a point of view, then you are probably striking a nerve in the other person. They probably think your viewpoint is too persuasive to carefully explore together. Better to lash out quickly and get it over with.

The old saying goes, “You get the most flack when you are right over the target.”

saved?

Yesterday, I spoke of being “saved.” To live with Jesus now and for eternity. Why do I need Jesus? For the forgiveness of my sin. So, if I do not trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of my sin, I don’t receive the benefit of his forgiveness. It’s not that he doesn’t want me to receive his forgiveness; he just won’t force me to accept it. The forgiveness made possible through Jesus is the greatest sign of his love. However, he will not force his love on me. I do not worship an abusive “lover.”

So, there are three types of people in the world today. Those who trust in Jesus and receive his forgiveness. Those who know about Jesus but don’t trust in him and therefore don’t choose his forgiveness. Those who don’t know anything about Jesus.

So what about being saved? I think the overall message of the Bible goes like this. Group one is saved. Group two chooses not to be saved. Jesus could give them his love even they don’t want it, but, I would argue, the Bible is clear he is not one to force his affections. Group three is a mystery to me, and mercy for them may be based on something else (see Romans 2:14-16). In any case, he will decide.

Jesus or many ways?

The local Episcopal bishop here in LA thinks that you can be saved in ways other than through Jesus. Many people who identify as, “Christian,” think the same way. How can that be? How can you be a Christian and a “pluralist,” which is a another way of saying, “a person who believes many paths lead to salvation?”

If you don’t need Jesus then you either can save yourself or you are saved by another. If you can save yourself, than why do you need Jesus? Why don’t you just save yourself? If you say you can’t then how can anyone else because they are a sinful human being just like you?

If you are saved by another, then Jesus is not the Savior. If he isn’t the Savior why are you saying he is? If you say he is just the Savior for you then here we go again…

bigot

It goes something like this.

I believe Jesus is the Savior. You believe all religions lead to God. I believe it is only through Jesus that you can be saved. You say I am being a “bigot.” Does this mean, you are telling me I am wrong, among other things? Why am I wrong? For saying you are wrong? So, does this mean you are the only person who is allowed to call the other one wrong? Isn’t that being bigoted? Let’s see.

The meaning of “bigot,” comes from the Middle French word meaning, “hypocrite.” I am not calling you a “bigot” because I believe you are wrong. I am just calling you wrong. You are calling me a “bigot” because you disagree with me, but there is no hypocrisy in my opposition to your logic. I come by my opposition honestly; not as a hypocrite. I think you are wrong.

find yourself?

Just caught the ending of movie “Never Been Kissed” again. News reporter-disguised-as-high school student Drew Barrymore says this to her actual high school classmates. “Find out who you are and try not to be afraid of it.”

That sounds like great advice, but not so fast. Recently, my good friend, Rich Melheim, called attention to this issue.

"In her book 'Primal Teen,' Barbara Strauch, science editor from TIME, tells us that adolescents add about 20% more brain tissue in the judgment center of the brain (pre-frontal cortex).
The problem is, they've got all the mass, but none of the connections. It doesn't get all hooked up until they are -get this - about twenty-five!
The author concludes that parents must take on the role of master advisor: 'You must become the pre frontal cortex for your teen.
The problem in our society is, of course, our kids hit 13 and we virtually abandon them. Draw a time line of raw time spent with kids on one end and years of age on the other and you'll see the line bottoming out at the onset of adolescence.
We are leaving them to their own devices and judgment at the absolute worst moment."

Who doesn’t think it’s a great ideal to have teenagers “discover" who they are and not be afraid of it?” Except that who they think they are could be the absolute worst scenario for them to base their life upon. If the evidence of the brain research is valid, who you think you are is not who you necessarily think you are in the first place.

This is another reason why I’m a Christian. It’s not who I think I am that is important. It’s who Jesus thinks I am (his beloved friend), and who he wants me to become, his obedient follower (John 14:15).

"extremist" christianity? part two

When talking about the lack of extremism in the name of Jesus, I am sometimes asked, "What about murdering abortion clinic doctors? That's pretty extreme."

There is no authority for a Christian to “take the law into your own hands.” Romans 13, again. There is no biblical support for vigilantism. Christians are invited to participate in law enforcement, the military, or the legal system, however there is no authority given by Jesus to set up “Christian” law enforcement or a “Christian” court system or a “Christian” army.” “Onward Christian Soldiers” is a metaphor.

This explains why a Christian is not following Christ or the guidelines of the Bible to murder an “abortion” provider, even if they believe abortion is murder. 99.999999% of those who call themselves Christians already understand this. The number of murders (FBI statistics) of “abortion” doctors or related staff in the United States since 1973 (Roe vs. Wade), is seven. Now I don’t know the background of all the perpetrators or those awful crimes, but if they all identified themselves as “Christian”, this is as “extreme” as those who call themselves Christian get, and they weren’t following Christ in the first place.

“extremist” christianity? part one

Here is what you need to know.

There is no authority in the Bible to set up a Christian government. There are no instructions for this. Christians are called to be active citizens in a country, in Romans 13, for example. Christians are invited to participate in government and be supportive, but there is no authority given by Jesus to set up a government. That may have been attempted centuries ago in rare cases, but there was no authority given from Jesus or the Bible. That’s why you don’t see it today.

want a space station?

I met a guy named Lloyd today who has a scrap metal business. He has yards in LA and Oakland and deals with some pretty amazing "junk." He has tanks. Yes, real tanks. The kind with guns. He has "duck" boats. You know the ones with wheels and a ramp like they used on Omaha Beach on D Day? And he has a space station. Seems they build a duplicate in case the original didn't work. Now Lloyd must have a good business, as I think he said he had something like 70 people working for him.

So this all kind of freaks me out. I recycle cans, bottles, paper and so forth, while Lloyd does space stations and tanks. He's doing his part and I'm doing mine, but my efforts seem small compared to his. I'm not talking about what either of us is accomplishing, just the scope of the issue.

It's like this. Are there big things I am doing for the benefit of others. Or am I only doing small things? I guess it just depends what you are working on. You do the best with what you have. Jesus said, "If you have a lot, I expect a lot." (Luke 12:48)

But with Jesus, even if you have a little he expects a lot. He wants everything. Pepsi can or space station, Jesus wants it all.

ideas

When you have an idea about something, I may want to consider it. If you offer me your sources for having that idea, I will be more influenced, but not without question. For example, I am the type of Christian who absolutely thinks the Bible is the ultimate source, "this side of heaven." So, if you wish to have an influence, it is a powerful tool for me if you biblically support your position. I still may not agree with your interpretation of the pertinent texts, but you have at least strengthened my interest.

If you simply cite the university credentials of a person, it will not have the influence you may intend. I have spent too many years dealing with credentialed people from "prestigious" universities, who, I would argue, need more clarity in their thinking.

If you use "cleverness," you have provided even less of an atmosphere for influence. So often cleverness substitutes for thought.

Now, I have learned from people who have used clever slogans, who don't study the Bible, and who are Ivy leaguers, but it wasn't their cleverness, their not using the scripture, nor their schooling that had an impact. It's their thinking.