|  Answers to Questions about God, faith and Christian Life.
18 Common Objections to Christianity & How to Respond Dr.Jerry E. McKeehan Download 18 Common Questions in PDF format here>> Download Bible and Theological Terms here>>
How doyou know they are? To be a hypocrite, a person must act differentlyfrom what he really believes. But how do you know that the man whodoesn't act like a Christian really is one? "He is a churchmember," you say. But who ever said that all church members areChristians? A Christian is one who genuinely believes that God hassaved him from his sins in Jesus Christ, and for whom Christ is moreimportant than anything else. Jesus said that "the good treebrings forth good fruit"; true believers in Christ bring forthfruits of Christ—and, anyway, even in the case of hypocriticalchurch members, they are in a better place to be helped in churchthan they would be elsewhere aren't they?
Do youreallywant to know? Be sure that you are not asking the question just toavoid meeting God! The philosopher Kierkegaard pointed out thedanger of arguing God's existence in His presence. We know there isa God for three reasons: first, nothing in this world is able toexplain its own existence: thus, there must be a God in order toexplain the world in which we find ourselves. Secondly, you can'texplain Jesus Christ unless God exists. When one of His disciplessaid to Him, "Show us the Father," Jesus replied: "HaveI been so long with you and you don't know me?" (John 14:8-9). Thirdly, your heart tells you there is a God; otherwise you wouldn'thave asked the question. The Bible says: "The fool has said inhis heart, there is no God" (Psalm 53:1).
Somepeople pride themselves in their strength. They feel almostinvincible. And so they can easily despise a faith that speaks ofstrengthening the weak and lifting the fallen.
Perhapswe have grown so accustomed to the crutches of our society that wehardily recognize them for what they are. The mad quest forintimacy, to still the ever present pain of loneliness. The activismwith which we fill our lives because we dare not stop and ask who weare and where we are going. The dependence on alcohol, nicotine, anddrugs become too great. The anxiety state which demands an array oftranquillizers before we can face going to sleep at night. Theattempt to prop up our lives with material things. Or the reactionwhich drives us to Eastern mysticism, TM, and seminars for theimprovement of our human potential. Following our daily horoscope,hoping it has a key to how our day may be. Crutches, every one ofthem. There seems no end to the props people use as they go limpingthrough life.
AndChristianity – is it just another crutch?
Inone sense, yes it is. Christianity is for people who do not pretendthey are invincible, but know they have got something broken. Ifours were a perfect world and we were perfect people there might beno need for Christianity. But such is not the case. Our world, ourlives, is fractured by greed and lust, by cruelty and selfishness. Don't believe me. Just glance at a newspaper or watch the televisionnews.
Christianityis unashamedly a rescue religion. That is why so many self-satisfiedpeople steer clear of it. 'I have come to heal the sick,' saidJesus. 'Those that are well don't need a doctor' (Luke 5:31-32). But he (Jesus) knew that in his meaning no one is healthy. Not evenyou or me.
Ifyou think Christianity is a crutch for the weak, make sure that youraccusation is not a smokescreen to deny your own inadequacies. Makesure that it is not an excuse to evade the claims that the living Godhas on your life. His remedy is very radical, but very effective. He takes wounded, fractured people and makes them whole.
What is God's alternativeto "allowing" people to fight wars, for example? Jam allthe guns? Suspend the laws of physics so the missiles don't take off?Silence all the politicians and paralyze all the generals? Revoke thecapacity of everyone involved to make decisions? God doesn't exertthat kind of control.
Where wouldwe stand? Would not all humanity be destroyed? For which of us isfree from evil? Far from remaining an abstract, intellectualproblem, evil is a very pressing moral problem within each one of us. It is people who are capable of blithely committing unspeakableatrocities: stacking slaves in shiploads like spoons in a drawer,torturing children in front of their parents take your pick of humanhorrors. As long as we're talking about things people decide and do,though, there's no philosophical/theological dilemma (except perhapswhy people can do such utterly wicked things).
Of courseGod allows people to do what they do. True love cannot exist withoutfreewill. If a father were to shut up his child in a room and forcehim always to do right or take away all of the bad consequences ofhis doing wrong, he would show the very opposite of love. This wouldturn his child into a subhuman puppet.
Christianity maintainsthat God is omnipotent. He is the God of creation, the God of theatom, the Maker of life. But let us not mistake the nature ofomnipotence. It is not the ability to do everything (howevercontradictory): it is the ability to achieve purpose (Romans 8:28).
God, ofcourse, is not subject to human limitations, so He canexercisegreater control in a person's life than can a human sovereign. Aspainful as it is, we can only show love by advice and persuasion,never by tyranny. God wants us to have peace on earth, and Hepromised that one day He will return to establish His Kingdom ofpeace. But, in the meantime, He will not dangle us like puppets on astring. It is our sin and self centeredness that prevents peace, andHe offers us His love and grace to make us new men with peace in ourhearts and the strength to bring peace to others. His working policyis to exercise control only to the extent that a given believerallows Him to. He is a gentleman. For a born-again Christian tovoluntarilyallowChrist to live His life in and through him or her is fundamental toChristianity.
God'ssovereignty does not require that He determine, cause, and controleverything that happens. He can voluntarily grant liberty - dare Isay autonomy?—to an intelligent creature (Satan or a human) withoutcompromising His own sovereignty, becauseHis sovereignty means something other than exercising categoricalcontrol. He can voluntarily refrain from exercising His ownsovereignty to the nth degree.
And, I would submit, thatis precisely what He normally does. Free moral choice can take placeideally only in the absence of compulsion. First Corinthians 7:37gives one of the best pictures of ideal freedom. It is he "whohas settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsionbut has control over his own will." If man is compelled tochoose by his own nature or character, by God or by Satan, or bysomething or somebody else, choice is not truly or ideally free. Hestill could control and perhaps on occasion does, but He does nothave to and normally does not. Rather, He grants to humans theprivilege of making their own decisions and taking their ownactions-good and bad, wise and foolish-and to live with theconsequences. Perhaps the ultimate exercise of His sovereignty is togrant us that privilege.
God won't force us toaccept His gift of love. "Behold, I stand at the door andknock," says Jesus. "If any man will open the door, I willcome in to him and sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation3:20). Have you opened the door of your heart to Him?
How canyou say, "Jesus is theonly way to God"? Thatrepresents nothing but prejudiceand narrow-mindedness.
First,to stick up for something based on facts is not prejudice. Do we callpeople narrow-minded if they stick up for the fact that anyone whosteps off a ten-story building without aid will fall down? We shoulddetermine whether what we believe is based on opinion or truth, andto change our views as we learn more. When Christians say "oneway," they are not prejudiced. Of all the people in the world,the true disciple must be the one most open to truth, and change hisviews because of truth when necessary. We say "one way"because the Lord Jesus said it. If someone does not agree with this, hedoesn't contend with us. We did not say it. Jesus himself said it(see John 14:6).
C. S.Lewis said that Jesus can only be one of four things:
1.He was a legend.He did not really exist. Butthat is silly, because we have records in history besides the Biblethat demonstrate Jesus really did live here on earth. And reading"2005" on a calendar tells you that about two thousand andfive years ago; someone came who split history in half. Our timedivides into two big pieces–B.C. and A.D.–before Christ and afterHis birth. No one else has ever been thought as important as this.No, Jesus was not just a dream or myth.
2.He was a liar.Some say, "Oh, I believeJesus was real, but He was only a great moral teacher." If Jesuswas not whathe claimed, then he was no great moral teacher, but the biggest liarin history, because he made the greatest claims in history. But thelife and words of Jesus hold no fault. Not even his enemies couldshow that he had ever lied or been untrue to His word. He could say,"Which of you can convict me of sin?" (John 8:46), and noone could. He was no liar.
3.He was a lunatic.About the only other thing youcan say (apart from trying to prove that He did not actually say whatHe said in the Bible) is that perhaps Jesus really did think he waswhat he said, but he was insane. However, we know a lot about mentalillness today, and Jesus showed none of those signs, even when undergreat stress or pressure. No, the assertion of insanity doesn't hold.
4.He was who He claimed–theLord of glory. Hundreds ofthousands of people of allages, races, andcultures have come and foundHim to be all that Heclaimed. So,when we describe Jesus asthe only way, we merelyproclaim what Jesusstated. Critics don't argue with us,but with Jesus.
Jesus' resurrection isone of the best attested facts in the history of the world. Such an amazing claimought not to be believed unless the evidence is overwhelming.
Five vitalpoints indicate that Jesus rose from the dead:
People have only twochoices: to confess Him as Lord now, voluntarily, or to confess Himwhether they like it or not, and take the terrible consequences, onthat dreadful day. How about you?
The word'Trinity' is not in the Bible. It is a theological term not abiblical one. By 'theological' we mean that is a term which bestexpresses what we believe the Bible teaches. By 'not biblical' wemean that the word itself is never used in Scripture. However, it isof course pure biblical teaching! By "trinity" I mean thatwithin the nature of the one true God, there are three eternal,distinct Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thesethree persons are the one God.
The Bible teaches thatthere is only one uncreated, eternal, true God (Exodus 3:14;Deuteronomy 6:4; John 17:3). TheBible teaches that there will never be any other uncreated, eternal,true God(s) to come into existence (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6-8; 1 Cor.8:4-6; Galatians 4:8). TheBible teaches that this one true God created everything, or fromnothing (Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 44:24; Hebrews 3:4; 11:3). Whenwe say "the Father is God," we mean that a distinct personknown as the Father is identifiable as the one true God, the creator(1 Cor. 8:4-6; 2 Peter 1:17). When we say "the Son is God,"we mean that a distinct person known as the Son is identifiable asthe one true God, the creator (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16). Whenwe say "the Holy Spirit is God," we mean that a distinctperson known as the Holy Spirit is identifiable as the one true God,the creator (Job 33:4; Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 2:11). Therefore,as the transitive property of equality shows us, the three PersonsAre the One God (Matthew 28:19). Thisbiblical doctrine of the Trinity does not allow for a plurality ofgods. Although the Bible uses "god" in a variety of ways,there is only one uncreated Creator. Scriptures such as Exodus 4:16;Psalm 82:6; John 10:30-36; etc. use "god" in a symbolic orrepresentative way. Nowhere does the Bible describe anyone other thanthe one true God as the Creator. In fact, the Bible declares that allthe so-called gods that did not make the heavens and earth willperish (Jeremiah 10:11). This is also a perfect induction argument,that is, the field of the term "god" is limited to creator,and the one member of that field is known, the biblical God, creatorof the heavens and the earth. The biblical doctrine of the Trinityaffirms a unity of divine essence (numeric identity). As theologianWilliam Shedd describes, "the substance of one divine person isthe substance of the others, both numerically and identically." Thebiblical doctrine of the Trinity affirms one and only one uncreated,true God who created everything else from nothing; and this God isthree eternal, distinct Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). By"creedal doctrine" in this resolution is meant the doctrineassociated with the ecumenical creeds generally accepted by theChristian church, including the Apostles and the Nicene. TheNew Testament creedal phrases from the apostles reflected a body ofbelief, within which was the assumption of the doctrine of thetrinity, exemplified by Matthew 28:19 and 2 Corinthians 13:14. TheBible is God's Word, and the creed is the believer's confession ofcommitment to what God's Word teaches. Creedal phrases abound in theNew Testament, including Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 15; Romans10:9-10; and Philippians 2:5-11. TheApostles Creed was ascribed to the apostles, whether they hadpersonal involvement in its formation or it merely reflects the coreof apostolic teaching. It was used throughout the Western Church,perhaps from apostolic times. Writers of the second and thirdcenturies already referred to it as the established, commonconfession of the church. Our first extant copy of the Greek text isfrom around 336-341, and a Latin text dates from around 390. TheApostles Creed was brief and with little detail since it precededmost of the Church turmoil caused by later heresies. TheNicene Creed is named after the Council of Nicea (325), although thetext underwent clarification and reached its final form around 381.It is also called the Nicene- Constantinopolitan Creed. Churchhistorian and scholar G. W. Bromiley notes how even the very earlycreedal development affirmed the biblical doctrine of the Trinity. Hesays, "Fragmentary creeds from the second century . . . supportthe thesis that creeds quickly became Trinitarian, or were so fromthe outset." Hereare only a few of the earliest references to the creedal doctrine ofthe Trinity from the early Church:
Creedalsupport of the biblical doctrine of the Trinity is made clear simplyby quoting the relevant portions of both the Apostles Creed and theNicene Creed, corresponding to the biblical argument presented:
Thecreedal doctrine of the Trinity was fully expressed by the laterAthanasian Creed (900s), which says in part, "And the catholicfaith is this, that we worship one God in three persons and threepersons in one God, neither confusing the persons nor dividing thesubstance. For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son,and another of the Holy Spirit. . . ." Onthe basis of the argumentation and evidence presented here, I affirmthe resolution: Yes, the creedal doctrine of the Trinity is biblical.
Two thousandyears ago, Jesus said: "Straight is the gate, and narrow is theway that leads to life, and few there be that find it" (Matthew4:17). In one of His parables, He suggested that only one quarter ofthe seed of His Word falls on good soil, producing fruit. Evidently,throughout history—not just today—only a few people come toJesus. How come? Someone has rightly said that Christianity is theeasiest religion in the world and also the hardest religion in theworld. It is the easiest, because God, in His love, has doneeverything necessary for our salvation. It is the hardest, for weneed to admit that we are entirely incapable of saving ourselves andneed Him that much. It is our self-centeredness—our refusal toadmit our need—that keeps us from Christ. What about you? Wouldyou rather go with the crowd, maintaining the myth that you can solveyour own religious problem, or are you willing to come to Christ onHis terms?
Jesus saidthat He came to earth "to seek and to save that which was lost"and to "give His life as a ransom for many" (Luke19:10; Mark10:45; Matthew 20:28). Mankind—each of us—had gone his own way,rejecting God's standards and wallowing in selfishness, just like theProdigal Son wasted his inheritance in a far country (Luke 15:11-32). Out of love for the fallen race, God came to earth in the person ofJesus, to take the death penalty man deserved upon Himself. WhenJesus died on the Cross. He substituted for each of us, paying thepenalty that we should have paid. You need Jesus because you needthat penalty paid. Once He has taken away the penalty of your sins,the heavens open and you can come back into fellowship with God.
First,We know that somehow, at least some people from EVERY nation on earthend up in heaven!
Revelation5:7 says: And they sang a new song: "You are worthy totake the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, andwith your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe andlanguage and people and nation."
Second,this is not a tiny minority of people. Lets read Revelation 7:9:"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitudethat no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people andlanguage, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. Theywere wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in theirhands."
Third,the Bible speaks about universal revelation knowledge of God. Let usread Romans1:19-20: "The wrath of God is being revealed from heavenagainst all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress thetruth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plainto them, because God has made it plain to them. For since thecreation of the world God's invisible qualities -- his eternal powerand divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood fromwhat has been made, so that men are without excuse."
Fourth,from the above verse everyone who goes to Hell is without an excuse!
This isan emotional question. God is just to send people to Hell based onfive points.
First,People are responsible for the truth that they have, as Romans1:20-24 shows.
Second,All people have some truth, from nature (Romans 1:20) and their ownconscience. (Romans 2:13-15)
Third,God is just. He does not hold people responsible for the truth theydo not have, as Romans 4:15; 5:13 says (Sin is not counted wherethere is no law). Acts 17:30 says that God overlooks times ofignorance.
Fourth,However, all ignorance is not necessarily innocent ignorance. Romans1:18-20 shows that people can suppress the knowledge that they have.While God is understanding of someone who only had very little light,people are still condemned if they are in darkness because theythemselves "blew out the candle".
Fifth,For people who reject the truth that they do have, God is notobligated to give them additional truth. (Romans 11:20; Matthew13:14-15; 23:29) In fact, for those who reject the way of truth, theless they know the better off they are. (2 Peter 2:20-22; John15:22-24)
Thetheology of suffering is the most difficultof all. This short answer will not attempt to solve the problem ofevil. No theological mind or system has done this.
First:Suffering is a theological problem (in more ways than one). Forsin is a theological matter. If sin is the cause ofsuffering, then suffering too is a theological problem. Not merely because we ask,'Why does God allow suffering?'But because suffering isdirectly related to sin.
Second:There was no suffering prior tothe Fall. Godcreated man and women in a world free from pain. God created man 'able to sin', said Augustine. Why this was so isnot knowable. But there was no pain in Adam's pre-fallen state. Manwas given warning of the consequences of sin before he fell(Gen. 2:17).
Third:Once man sinned, everything pertaining to his being changed. Thechemistry of his body (e.g., aging process). The inclinations of thesoul that were alien to man before the Fall; unbelief; fear; pride;jealously; greed; insecurity.
Fourth:The earth in a sense fell with man. 'Cursed is the ground because ofyou' (Genesis 3:17). This means that nature itself changed and thischange owes entirely to the Fall. Hence all natural disaster has itsorigin not in God but in man who sinned.
Fifth:Not all sickness is traceableto sin. The proof of this isthat not all who needed healing had sinned so as to be ill (James5:15). We all have to die one way or the other, no matter how godlywe are.
Sixth:There is however a connectionbetween health and holiness (1Cor. 11:30). If we live holy lives we can avoid a lot of needlesssuffering. For example, some diseases are traceable to sexual sin.
Seventh:Becoming a Christian is not a way of avoiding suffering. The greatest sufferer of allwas Jesus; we are called to imitate him (1Pet 2:21). Suffering of adifferent sort is promised to the Christian (2Tim. 3:12).
Therefore,the Christian is a person who has double suffering:
Parallelwith this is God's chastening, or disciplining (Hebrews 12:6).
Eighth:Anyone who tells you that theBible promises health and prosperity if we meet certain conditions ismisleading you.
Ninth:The nearest we can come to anexplanation of evil is that, were there no evil, there would be noneed for faith. God hasdecreed that those who know him do so by faith (Habakkuk 2:4; 1Corinthians 1:21). Faith to be faith must believe when there is noempirical evidence (Hebrews 11:1). The world, however, says, 'seeingis believing' (Mark 15:32). Godmay have allowed evil if only that there may be faith. God wants us to believe his Word (Bible). There are generally twoways by which God increases faith: (1) Positive - When he just poursout his Spirit on us. (2) Negative - When God has to discipline us toget our attention (Hebrews 12:10-11).
Tenth:No-one knew unfairness,humiliation or injustice like Jesus. For example:
Eleventh:Jesus endured suffering for three reasons:
Twelve:Moral or human evil came from God's choice to make beings who had thefreedom to reject His love.
Ididn't say God is evil, or that He made evil. Isaid that evil's existence is God's responsibility. C. S. Lewis saidit this way:
"Godchose to make man as he is—limited and suffering and subject tosorrow and death. He (God) had the honesty and courage to take hisown medicine."
Thirteen: God has dealt with the problem of evil and suffering at its root.The Cross shows that God is no stranger to pain. On the cross Godwilling carried the evils of the whole world. He took personalresponsibility for the wickedness of every man or woman who has everlived or ever will. God does not allow us to go through what HeHimself avoids. He came face-to-face with evil in this world when Hecame among us in the person of Jesus. The Cross can never beseparated from the Resurrection. It points steadily, at the midpointof time, to that ultimate victory over pain at the end of all time. Because of the Cross and the Resurrection we can be sure that Godwill not ultimately be defeated by evil and suffering, and neitherwill His followers.
Fourteen:The only answer that makes sense concerning 'natural evil' to me isthat God allows suffering for two reasons:
The Bible says: "Itis appointed unto man once to die, and after this the judgment"(Hebrews 9:27).Immediately after death, a man stands before thejudgment seat of God, and God looks at him either in hisself-centered condition or through Christ. The man who in this lifedepends upon Christ for salvation has Christ as his advocate on thatdreadful day, and Christ's perfection stands in his stead. But theman who thinks he can save himself destroys himself because he cannotcome to the level of God's perfection. There is no second chance. Reincarnation is supported neither by the Bible nor by scientificevidence. Don't take any chances. This is the only life you willhave in which to accept Christ.
OpeningScene: Mr. R. dies and heis before St. P.
St.P.: To enter here you musthave earned 1000 points. Mr.R.: That doesn't seemexcessive. I was a community leader for thirty years and strove for a better government and general social \ improvement.
St.P.: Excellent! A praiseworthy record. That's one point. Mr.R. (taken back): I was faithful family man—married to the same woman fifty years and the father of four fine children whom we sent to the best colleges…
St. P.: You don't say? We don't getmany like you these days. That's another point. Mr.R. (sweating freely by now): I was an elder in my church, attended church every Sunday, taught Sunday School, tithe to the church faithfully…
St.P.: Commendable in every way! What a credit you were to the community.Two points. Now let's see that makes… Mr.R. (on his knees, almost prostrate, half mumbling to himself): Good Lord!But for the grace of God, nobody could get in here!
St.P.: You have just received 1000 points.
To besaved, a man must first recognize that he can't save himself. Why? Because everyone has willfully violated God's perfect standards, andhe who "offends in one point of the law is guilty of all"(James 2:10). God's standard is perfection and we need desperatelythe divine grace that only Jesus can provide. Salvation is God'splan to restore man to a holy, happy relationship with Him. Allproblems of sin, doubt, failure, and lack of victory in God's powercan be conquered by the following steps:
First,Rethink... Stoprunning away from the Voice of God and look at your life. We do notnaturally want to obey God; only if we let the Holy Spirit show usour sin as GOD sees it will we realize just how bad we have been. Todo this, you MUST be TOTALLY HONEST! Don't pretend. Don't "playdown" your sin. Stop making excuses! Admit it from your heart!"God, I am all wrong!" If necessary, get paper and penciland WRITE DOWN the things that have come between you and God, andstopped you from serving Him as you ought.
Second,Repent... Turnyour back on your old way of life. Be WILLING to lose any habit, anyplan, anyfriend that you have been living your life for instead of God. Thisis not easy, butJesus said if we want to follow Him, we must first count the cost.(Luke 14:25-33)Salvation is like a marriage. Two people promise themselves to each other,pledge their love to each other before a watching world, and give upall theirold dates. This is what God wants you to do to know His love.
Third,Renounce... Give upall rights to your own life. If you are going to be a part of God'sworld changing family, you cannot be your own boss any longer. Youmust die to your own plans, dreams and ambitions, and be willing todo whatever God wants you to do. He knows exactly what will make youthe most happy. It may hurt to surrender everything at first, but Godknows best, and will never ask you to do anything that you willregret in the end. A true Christian has nothing of his own. Time,talents, money, possessions, friends, career, and future; all must besurrendered for his King's service wherever and whenever He wantsthem.
Fourth,Replan... Beprepared to make many changes in your life! The very moment you makethis heart-choicefor God, the old "you" will die, and a new person insideyou will begin tolive. If the Holy Spirit is speaking to you about getting somethingright withsomeone, you must be willing to do it, before God can help you.Wherever you needto confess wrong, or restore or repay something to someone, the Lord Jesuswill give you the courage and the words to say. Becoming a Christian impliesthe willingness, as far as is humanly possible, to right all knownwrong. (Prov.28:13) If you have written out a list of things that have comebetween you and God,ask His forgiveness now for those against Him. Plan to make right all otherswith the people you know you have wronged, and feel guilty about. The circleof confession must fit the circle of committal of sin. Those againstGod, confessonly to Him; those against one person, to that person alone; those againsta group, to the group.
Fifth,Receive... The LordJesus Christ by faith, (a loyalty of love to the Word of God), torule in yourheart as King. He must be your absolute "Boss" from now on!This act of faith isneither an "idea" or a mere "feeling" but an act,a choice of your will, madeintelligently and carefully . Give Him your doubts, your weakness,and your loneliness.Your heart will never have peace, your doubts will never clear up,you willnever die to the world until you trust, surrender, believe from yourheart! Be totallyhonest with Him. Receive Christ into your life as your Lord andMaster to live forHim from this moment on, forever. (Rom.10:9-10)
If you have given yourlife to the Lord Jesus, you have entered an exciting new world. Things should be different for you. Your life will feel fresh andnew. If God has really taken the throne of your heart, you will seethese changes in your life.
First,adesire for scripture. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that thatcomes from the mouth of God." As a true disciple, you will wantto find out in His Word what God wants you to know. The Bible isyour spiritual bread. It is your weapon to defeat the devil. It isthe manual to show you how to live. True disciples are people of theBible (Job 23:12; Jeremiah 15:16; Deuteronomy 6:5-7; Romans 10:17; 1Peter 2:2). Makea solemn vow to God to spend a certain amount of time or read acertain number of chapters a day of God's Word (see Ecclesiastes5:4-6). God will take you at your word on any promise you make toHim.
Second,adifference in standards."If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things arepassed away; behold all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). A real (conversion) disciple is different in habits, actions andpurpose; is different in word, thought and standards.
Becominga Christian is like learning to drive on the other side of the road. You must be careful for a while until you learn to think and act byhabit in this new way. In times of stress and sudden temptations youmay strongly feel like going back to your old way of life. This isespecially true if past habits have taken deep root in your memory. But here is the promise from scripture, "there is no temptationtaken you but such as is common to man; God is faithful, who will notallow you to be tempted above that which you are able, but with thetemptation will also make a way to escape, that you may be able tobear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Third,adiscipline of self."But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control"(Galatians 5:22-23). If you are a true child of God, you will beginto tighten up old areas where you used to let yourself "hangloose." Once the (conversion) disciple of Jesus has asked Himto take his life, He will do it. And He will keep dealing with himuntil his life is like that of His Son. "Every man that hasthis hope in Him purifies himself, even as He is pure" (1 John3:3; Matthew 16:24; Luke 3:11; 1 Corinthians 9:25-27)
Fourth,adespising by society. Jesus said, "Because you are not of this world the world willhates you…. If they have persecuted Me, they will persecute you"(John 15:19-20). A real disciple of Jesus will have trouble from theworld. When the light of Jesus shines on the selfish world, sinnerscaught in it can do only one of three things: run from it, try to putit out or destroy it, or surrender to it and give their lives to God. Make no mistake—if you will live for God, you can expect realtrouble from the world around you. "All that will live godly inChrist Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12).
"Blessedare you when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall sayall kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. Rejoice, andbe exceeding glad, for great is your reward in Heaven" (Matthew5:10-12; 2 Timothy 2:12; John 15:18-21; Romans 8:18; 12:20-21; 1Peter 2:20-21).
Fifth,a seeking of otherdisciples. "Bythis shall all men know that you are My disciples: if you have loveone to another" (John 13:35). Find a true church with truefaith. Go where you feel at home, where you feel the love of God,where truth is preached with compassion, then work with thesedisciples there for the Lord Jesus. The church is to be unitedaround the goal of accomplishing the single mission of the church,namely, to make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). You cannot be aChristian by not going to church. "And let us consider how tostimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our ownassembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging oneanother; and all the more as you see the day drawing near"(Hebrews 10:24-25).
Six, aserving of the Lord. "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain!"(Philippians 1:21). The task of world evangelism is not given onlyas a lifetime work to the preacher, missionary or evangelist; it isgiven to each of Christ's true (conversion) disciples as a lifetimework. Jesus said, "You shall receive power after that the HolySpirit is come upon you; and you shall be witnesses unto Me both inJerusalem (at home), and in all Judea (in the immediate neighborhood)and in Samaria (among the outcasts of society), and even to theuttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). All of us have a callto serve the Lord and help Him reach His world (1 John 3:16-24; 1Peter 2:21; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7; Philippians 1:21; Matthew 10:32;John 14:12).
Seventh,a sticking to the task. "One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reachingforward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prizeof the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14;homework: Psalm 37:23-24; Romans 6:1-14; 2 Peter 1:1-10; John5:37-39). A true (conversion) disciple of Jesus must be determinedto stay true to Christ. The express teaching of the Bible is that welive a life of habitual victory over sin out of love to God (Matthew5:13-18; 7:12-27; Mark 12:28-34; John 15:8-14; Romans 13:9-11; 1 John3:3-11). All of us will be confronted each day with temptation,weakness and possible failure; but God's grace we can overcome (1Corinthians 10:13).
Theprocess of grieving a loss is paradoxical in its intention. Throughgrief one seeks to heal the pain of loss, let go of what can nolonger be kept, and face the reality of living with only a memory ofwhat once was. At the same time, there is a sense of responsibilitynot to forget what was lost. "If I forget you, 0 Jerusalem,"the Psalmist cries out. "Let my tongue cling to the roof of mymouth,… if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy" (Psalm137:5-6). Can we give ourselves permission to experience a present"highest joy" without betraying a former one?
Theparadox in grieving the loss of a loved one is that recovery from theloss can be seen as betrayal of the one who was loved. Our griefbecomes our only expression of loyalty, as if to be healed would beto abandon the love that once bound us together.
TheChristian author C. S. Lewis, following the death of his wife, wrotein A Grief Observedof his intense need to remain in grief for his wife as a way ofremaining in contact with her. At first, after her death, to letgo of his intense grief was to feel that he was abandoning her.
"Wedon't really want grief, in its first agonies, to be prolonged; nobodycould. But we want something else of which grief is a frequentsymptom. .. we want to live our marriage well and faithfully throughthat phase too. If it hurts (and it certainly will) we accept thepains as a necessary part of this phase. We don't want to escape themat the price of desertion or divorce. Killing the dead a secondtime." Through his own painful process, however, Lewisdiscovered, "passionate grief does not link us with the dead butcuts us off from them."(C. S. Lewis, A GriefObserved (London: Faber andFaber, 1961), p. 44)
Grievingthrough to faith is something like suffering through a dark night ofthe soul and then experiencing the sudden breaking of a new dawn.
C. S.Lewis, during this process of recovery, reported:
"Somethingquite unexpected. has happened. It came this morning early. Forvarious reasons, not in themselves at all mysterious, my heart waslighter than it had been for many weeks. For one thing, I suppose Iam recovering physically from a good deal of mere exhaustion. And I'dhad a very tiring but very healthy twelve hours the day before, and asounder night's sleep; and after ten days of low-hung grey skies andmotionless warm dampness, the sun was shining and there was a lightbreeze. And suddenly at the very moment when, so far, I mourned H.least, I remembered her best. Indeed it was something (almost) betterthan memory; an instantaneous, unanswerable impression. To say it waslike a meeting would be going too far. Yet there was that in it whichtempts one to use those words. It was as if the lifting of the sorrowremoved a barrier."(C. S. Lewis, A GriefObserved, p. 57).
ButThere are Relapses!
Lest weconclude from this that Lewis had finally "gotten over" hissorrow, he is quick to remind us that recovery is a process of movingthrough phases that recur. One never takes steps that leave behindwhat once was essential to the self and now has been lost. "Tonightall the hells of young grief have opened again; the mad words, thebitter resentment, the fluttering in the stomach, the nightmareunreality, the wallowed-in tears, for in grief nothing 'stays put.'One keeps on emerging from a phase, but it always recurs. . . . Theysay 'The coward dies many times'; so does the beloved. Didn't theeagle find a fresh liver to tear in Prometheus every time it dined?"(C. S. Lewis, A GriefObserved, p. 44)
Thisreminds us that recovery from grief moves through phases. Therecovery of faith is also part of experiencing both the grace ofhealing and the relapse into grief.
Recoveryfrom grief is more like a spiral with expanding dimensions of healingand hope than a threshold we cross once and for all. We should notthink that we have fallen back into hopeless grief when the pangs ofa loss or fear of our own death suddenly come upon us after a periodof relative peace and well-being. Grieving through to faith is aprocess by which faith expands through the experience of such painand fear. To have faith is to be in recovery, even from attacks uponour faith!
Someyears ago I was asked to make a pastoral call to counsel a woman whowas dying of cancer. She was a young mother in her middle thirties,with three small children. Her husband was in denial of herillness; he would not discuss it with her and even avoided cominginto her bedroom where she lay, too weak to get up. As we talked sheraged in anger over the fact that God was allowing this to happen toher. "How can God let me die with these small children to carefor," she demanded. "I have prayed, but my prayers gounanswered. Why has God abandoned me?"
Iattempted to enter into her feelings of anger and agreed that whathappened to her was a terrible injustice and a great tragedy. I askedif she was afraid to die, and she replied, "Yes, because I don'tknow who will take care of my kids, and I have lost my faith in God."Then, looking directly at me, she demanded again, "Tell me,pastor, how do you explain God's absence and His failure to heal meand prevent this terrible thing from happening?"
I feltmy formal theological training melt away like a sand castle washedwith a cresting wave. To give a defense of God at that moment wasbeyond my competence. The enormity of the reality of her situationexposed my carefully prepared "textbook" responses assuperficial and inane. Venturing into unexplored territory, led onlyby the flickering light of her own desperate honesty, I replied: "Idon't think that God can do anything about it. I think that He feelsas helpless and perhaps as angry as you do."
"Youcan't say that," she protested. "Don't we believe that Godis in control and has the power to do anything He wants?" Shehad been instructed as to what one should believe about God, as itturned out. She knew what one was expected to say about God, but hadlittle idea of what God had to say about her. "TheGod that I know was present when His own child was suffering anddying on the cross," I replied. "He was powerless tointervene and remove Him from the cross, for His love is His power,and it took a powerful love to enter into sickness and death in orderto provide a way through it for us."
I wenton to talk about the reality of God as present in the pain andsuffering of His Son, Jesus Christ. I suggested that our concept ofpower as absolute control over everything from outside was reallyvery superficial and empty of real meaning. She was quiet for a longtime. Then she said, quietly and with deep feeling, "I canbelieve that. I just had to have some point of contact. I couldn'treach Him when I thought of Him being powerful and distant. But I cantrust Him if He is willing to die with me."
After aprayer with shared tears, I asked her, "Are you afraid?"And she replied, "Not so much now. When I think of God's love asHis power to go through this with me, I don't feel so alone."
As Ilater reflected upon what had happened in that room, permeated withpain and shadowed by suffering, I realized that a concept of a Godwho is viewed as omnipotent and all powerful places him outside ourperceptions of reality and beyond the reach of our powerless faith.Instead of destroying her faith in God by suggesting that God was notthe all powerful figure she had in her mind, God was made more realto her and, in a paradoxical kind of way, more powerful inrelationship to her own suffering than she had ever experiencedbefore.
What shecame to realize is that the power of God is not an abstract kind ofpower as control over everything, but a power of personal presenceeven in a time of suffering and dying.
Ultimately,the questions which arise out of injury to the self through failure,loss, and abuse become religious questions. For those with religiousconvictions, the experience of suffering devastating and tragiclosses in life, and the pervading presence of evil, can produce acrisis of faith. In the struggle to find meaning and purpose in life,God is the one we hold to be finally accountable.
Thedepth of human pain is nearly always perceived in contrast to theheight of human aspiration. Yet the apostle Paul found that God'struth incorporates both as a paradox.
God'spower is made manifest in weakness, wrote Paul, following his ownexperience of unanswered prayer with regard to his "thorn in theflesh." This is the power of Christ who has Himself entered intothe domain of suffering and evil and has overcome that power with thegreater power of divine love and restoration to life (2 Corinthians12:8-9).
Thestarting point for faith in God, as the Hebrew people came tounderstand, was in their experience of a God who shared their ownsuffering. (seeFor an insightful treatment of divine power and human sufferingRichard F. Vieth, HolyPower, Human Pain(Bloomington, IN: Meyer-Stone Books, 1988).
"Onlythe suffering God can help," wrote Dietrich Bonhoeffer, when heexperienced the collapse of the good when confronted by the evil ofHitler's program of destruction.
"TheGod who is with us is the God who forsakes us (Mark 15:34). The Godwho lets us live in the world without the working hypothesis of Godis the God before whom we stand continually. Before God and with Godwe live without God. God lets himself be pushed out of the world onto the cross.... Here is the decisive difference between Christianityand all religions. Man's religiosity makes him look in his distressto the power of God in the world: God is the deusex machina. The Bibledirects man to God's powerlessness and suffering; only the sufferingGod can help" (DietrichBonhoeffer, Lettersand Papers from Prison(New York: Macmillan, 1971), pp. 360-61).
When Ilooked again at the standard theological text books, I saw that theyhad missed this essential starting point for coming to grips with thereality of suffering and the reality of God. When theology begins bydefining God as a being located outside of the world, it isimpossible to speak of God as participating in the reality of theworld without diminishing God's transcendence over the world. Whensupernatural power is taught as the primary attribute of God, thosewho become powerless in the face of suffering and evil find itdifficult to believe in the existence of God.
Faith ina God who intervenes on behalf of those who are suffering can turn tounbelief when the "righteous" suffer. We who are adultsoften try to find reasons why our suffering may be deserved. Few ofus would claim to be so righteous as to merit God's intervention inevery case. But when children suffer and die, our faith is tested tothe utmost.
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