Today (April, 22) is "Earth Day". It's a day that celebrates the idea of being environmentally conscious. Many people are made more aware of the impact they have on the world, its resources, and our ecosystem. The reality is humbling since it points out how we have (mis)treated the creation of God. In the book of Genesis, God gave us the responsibility to tend the Garden and keep it (2:15). In Psalm 8:6 we learn that we have been given dominion over the work of God's hands referring to all of creation. We are told that everything has been placed "under our feet" (v. 7) showing our responsibility and authority over the things God created. We have been given the task of caring for God's beautiful creation; God entrusted us with tending the Garden in which we live. But what have we done to deserve this task? And what have we done with our responsibility?
The sad reality is that we have shirked the sacred responsibility given to us. We have shown poor stewardship. But I would say that the heaviest weight of this failure falls on the shoulders of us Christians. We cannot place the blame on the evolutionists and the atheists. The truth is that they have done the most to stop the destruction of our planet. They are the ones hugging trees and signing petitions. What have we done? We call them "liberals" but I would call them people of "forgein lips". In Isaiah 28:11, the Israelites are warned about foreigners, who were not the people of God, that are used to speak and deliver judgment against the people of God. God has entrusted us with the protection and stewardship of this planet and we have abused our authority. Instead, the non-believer is used by God and steps up in our absence, in some cases at the cost of their own lives, to protect the environment and save endangered animals. The fact that they have picked up our slack ought to speak against our arrogance and proclaim judgment against our failure as God's people. To think that God has to use people who hate Him to protect the good creation he loves. What does that say about us? And yet we are unashamed. We speak against men like Al Gore who fund a movie that shows plainly the state we have left our world. We argue that the movie is over stating the statistics and is inaccurate. But what we ought to do is repent in humility over our lack of stewardship and rebellion against the command of God to care for his creation.
But what has brought us to this complacency? Typically, those who call themselves Christian tend to sit on the right side of the political debate because of certain social and economic values. While there is nothing wrong with being on one side or the other, there is a definite absence of environmental consciences for political conservatives. And the shame comes by the fact that we Christians have adopted this secular worldview rather than enforcing the worldview of Scripture which understands our role to be caretakers, not consumers. I have known many Christians to argue against environmentalism; who belittle the passion that drives some to care for their environment. A Biblical worldview would encourage and stand along side, supporting such drive and conviction. Proverbs 12:15 tells us, "The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice." I would suggest that we have played the fool long enough and it is now time for us to repent and listen.
Where do we start? How do we turn from our wicked ways and become the stewards we were created to be? Well, it ought to start at home. As in most things, the education system has picked up where we have failed and today teaches our children about being environmentally mindful. Tainted by a humanistic worldview, our children are taught how to care for God's creation without appreciation for God. We should be the ones teaching our children about the greatness of God's creation and why we are to care for it. Also, we ought to take steps to reduce, and reuse the things we use. We should also use less and waste less. For example, when we go to the grocery store we ought to bring our own reusable bag rather than paper or plastic. At work we should use less paper and reuse scratch paper that would normally be thrown away. At home take shorter showers or even substitute a morning shower with a bath before bed. Use and encourage the use of post consumer (recycled) materials like glass and paper. When you get your coffee in the morning, bring your own mug or thermos. Also, take the initiative to set up a recycling program at your work or school if there isn't one already (and if there is one use it!). And for those who can afford it, convert your truck or SUV to bio-diesel or get a Hybrid car that uses less oil and gas. And for those who can't, make sure you take care of your car and get regular emission tests. Or carpool to work and church (friends are free, gas is not).
These are just some simple ways to care for the our world, and if we commit to this conservational lifestyle, imagine the impact we would all have. Approximately 1/3 (close to 3 billion) of the world's population is Christian. Imagine the impact on our oceans, landfills, rainforest's, and city streets if we all were to fulfill our responsibility as the caretakers of God's creation. There is no question about it, we have abused our dominion over the creation God has entrusted to us. He has placed it under our feet and we have done nothing but walk all over it and destroy it for our own benefit and greed.
I do want to make something very clear, however. I am not advocating the point of view that we ought to surrender our position as God's highest creation, but rather I am enforcing our position as its caretaker. There are those who worship the earth as mother and abdicate their role as image bearers of God. We are not to worship the creation but rather the Creator. But still we appreciate his creation and care for it since it is a revelation of God and his greatness (Romans 1:20). This world is a reflection of God's taste and artistic talent. When he finished creating each thing in this world, God ended the day satisfied, calling his work "good". God has a vested interest in this world and everything in it. It is an integral part of our redemptive history. Romans 8:19-21 teaches creation is also waiting for Jesus to return. It too has been subjected to the frustrations of sin and its impact but in verse 21, we learn that when Jesus returns it too will be liberated from bondage and decay and be brought into glorious freedom with us, the children of God. Therefore, we can no longer ignore our responsibility. We should be at the forefront of the "Green" movement. Churches should be going green. Christians should be the ones annoying people outside of grocery stores asking them to sign petitions to save a whale or a spotted slug or chipmunk instead of bombing abortion clinics and picketing gay pride parades like the hypocrites we are, unrepentant of our own sins. So, now we make a choice: we can either be environmentally aware once a year, or we can obey God and fulfill our responsibility by caring everyday. Let's repent from our sin of omission and be the example to the non-believer by showing our love and respect for the work of God's hand.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
His Name Is The Word of God: The Importance of Seeing Jesus From Scripture (Part 4)
Jesus speaks for himself. The book of Revelation is often pigeonholed as being a book of prophecy about the end of time, however, it clearly states in the first verse that it is regarding “the revelation of Jesus Christ”. As such, it gives us a clear picture of the worship of Jesus in heaven as he sits on his throne today and the way in which he will return to judge the earth and bring justice. Chapter 19 verse 13 describes his return like this; “He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.” This is reminiscent of how John describes his first arrival as a humble Galilean peasant, where he says at the beginning of the gospel account, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” The Greek word here is “logos” which is where we derive our English term “logic” from, just as 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 24 calls Christ the power and wisdom of God, Jesus Christ is the physical expression of God’s heart and mind. That expression is so powerful that it transcends the pages of the Bible and speaks on its own. You don’t have to be literate to understand who Jesus is because his Spirit teaches and reminds us who he is, just as he promised in John 14 verse 26.
The difference between the words of the Bible and the ideas that others have formulated is that the Bible makes the claim to be revelation while everything else is mere speculation. It is my belief that nothing can really be known apart from revelation; this was the key to the struggle of men like Kant and Kierkegaard who saw human reasoning as incapable of grasping external realities, this is in agreement with the Bible which says that God is the source of knowledge and wisdom (e.g. Proverbs 9:10, Ecclesiastes 2:26, James 1:5). Likewise, when the Bible says that Jesus taught with authority (Luke 4:32) it means that he said what a thing meant instead of what he thought it meant. This is the nature of Scripture too.
Jesus has revealed himself in myriad ways; his life, death, and resurrection are extraordinarily multifaceted in their depth and meaning, which is part of what makes him such an intriguing figure for people from all walks of life. There are three distinct Biblical roles which Jesus is revealed as having fulfilled, those are the offices of prophet, priest, and king. What is interesting is that many people who make claims about Jesus distinguishable from what the Bible says about him still grasp some of Jesus' character while ignoring other aspects. For example, Protestant liberals who neglect Biblical teaching in order to avoid offending others see Jesus' role as a priest and a king who distributes mercy to people and kindly rules over them without judging them or speaking ill of them, they forget that Jesus is also a prophet who speaks truth into our lives and reminds us that we are guilty sinners who deserve death. On the other hand, Christian fundamentalists understand Jesus as a king and prophet who rules over people and judges them, but they forget that he is also a priest who mediates for his people and forgives their sin. Many Christian evangelicals today also remember that Jesus is both priest and prophet who speaks the truth and gives grace, but they forget that he is a king who rules over their time, money, sex, food, and relationships so they do not subject themselves to his rule and obey him, but instead live hypocritical lives. For this reason a deeper trust in the Scriptures is needed; a holistic understanding of the Bible and a firm belief in its sufficiency is absolutely essential to Christianity.
The book off Hebrews chapter 4 verses 12 and 13 declares, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.” The Bible makes the claim that God’s word (that is, Jesus as he is revealed through Scripture and the testimony of the Holy Spirit) is actively involved in judging our hearts, similarly, in James chapter 1 verses 22 through 25, the Bible is likened to a mirror in which we can see ourselves for who and what we really are; we may see our sinfulness apart from Christ and we may also see that in Christ there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1), because the believer’s sin has been forgiven and cleansed, having been replaced with Jesus’ own righteous status before God.
Without the Scripture, no one could feel the weight of their own sin and be compelled to repent and look to God for forgiveness; without the Scripture, no one would see Jesus fulfilling the roles of prophet, priest, and king or be able to ponder the many mysterious facets of his identity. Without Scripture, there would be nothing for people to speculate about; because Scripture is the only credible and tangible revelation we have of the person and work of Jesus Christ. We must look to the Bible alone if we want to see Jesus.
Recommended Reading and Sources Used:
The Bible (choose a reliable and coherent English translation such as the New International Version or English Standard Version, NIV quotations were used for this blog, however, the ESV is known to be a more literal translation).
American Jesus by Stephen Prothero
Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll
The difference between the words of the Bible and the ideas that others have formulated is that the Bible makes the claim to be revelation while everything else is mere speculation. It is my belief that nothing can really be known apart from revelation; this was the key to the struggle of men like Kant and Kierkegaard who saw human reasoning as incapable of grasping external realities, this is in agreement with the Bible which says that God is the source of knowledge and wisdom (e.g. Proverbs 9:10, Ecclesiastes 2:26, James 1:5). Likewise, when the Bible says that Jesus taught with authority (Luke 4:32) it means that he said what a thing meant instead of what he thought it meant. This is the nature of Scripture too.
Jesus has revealed himself in myriad ways; his life, death, and resurrection are extraordinarily multifaceted in their depth and meaning, which is part of what makes him such an intriguing figure for people from all walks of life. There are three distinct Biblical roles which Jesus is revealed as having fulfilled, those are the offices of prophet, priest, and king. What is interesting is that many people who make claims about Jesus distinguishable from what the Bible says about him still grasp some of Jesus' character while ignoring other aspects. For example, Protestant liberals who neglect Biblical teaching in order to avoid offending others see Jesus' role as a priest and a king who distributes mercy to people and kindly rules over them without judging them or speaking ill of them, they forget that Jesus is also a prophet who speaks truth into our lives and reminds us that we are guilty sinners who deserve death. On the other hand, Christian fundamentalists understand Jesus as a king and prophet who rules over people and judges them, but they forget that he is also a priest who mediates for his people and forgives their sin. Many Christian evangelicals today also remember that Jesus is both priest and prophet who speaks the truth and gives grace, but they forget that he is a king who rules over their time, money, sex, food, and relationships so they do not subject themselves to his rule and obey him, but instead live hypocritical lives. For this reason a deeper trust in the Scriptures is needed; a holistic understanding of the Bible and a firm belief in its sufficiency is absolutely essential to Christianity.
The book off Hebrews chapter 4 verses 12 and 13 declares, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.” The Bible makes the claim that God’s word (that is, Jesus as he is revealed through Scripture and the testimony of the Holy Spirit) is actively involved in judging our hearts, similarly, in James chapter 1 verses 22 through 25, the Bible is likened to a mirror in which we can see ourselves for who and what we really are; we may see our sinfulness apart from Christ and we may also see that in Christ there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1), because the believer’s sin has been forgiven and cleansed, having been replaced with Jesus’ own righteous status before God.
Without the Scripture, no one could feel the weight of their own sin and be compelled to repent and look to God for forgiveness; without the Scripture, no one would see Jesus fulfilling the roles of prophet, priest, and king or be able to ponder the many mysterious facets of his identity. Without Scripture, there would be nothing for people to speculate about; because Scripture is the only credible and tangible revelation we have of the person and work of Jesus Christ. We must look to the Bible alone if we want to see Jesus.
Recommended Reading and Sources Used:
The Bible (choose a reliable and coherent English translation such as the New International Version or English Standard Version, NIV quotations were used for this blog, however, the ESV is known to be a more literal translation).
American Jesus by Stephen Prothero
Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
His Name Is The Word of God: The Importance of Seeing Jesus From Scripture (Part 3)
Many people point to Jesus life and teaching as especially profound because he emphasizes a unique love for the marginalized and he took a stand against the political and religious establishment of his day. They see this as an example worth following and picture Jesus as a supporter of their particular cause. But we must consider the reasons Jesus lived and spoke the way he did. To extract his words and actions from the historical context they are set in is to obscure them rather than reveal their true intent.
Jesus was born into a religious community during a time in which expectancy of the Messiah, the promised Savior of the Jews prophesied about in the books written by Moses (e.g. Deuteronomy 18:14-22) and the prophetic books, had reached a fever pitch. It was an environment more emotionally and religiously charged than the presidential election in our own day. Everyone wants to know who it’s going to be, everyone is waiting and watching for their redeemer. Primarily, this is because they had endured a long history of exile and occupation by the Assyrians, by the Babylonians, by Persia, by the Greeks, and now the seemingly unbreakable Romans had taken over. They knew from prophesies such as the one found in the book of Daniel (chapter 2 verses 24-35) that the Messiah would have to come soon. They were expecting a political ruler who would overthrow the government and take back Israel, liberating the nation from its captors. This was the world that Jesus came to.
Jesus began his ministry by opening up the scroll of the prophet Isaiah (61:1,2) and reading in the Jewish synagogue: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom to prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor…” and then he said “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” The Jews would have understood this as a claim that the Messiah had in fact come and they would soon be free from the political oppression of Rome. We then read that he went on to preach “the good news of the kingdom of God, for which he was sent”. So, this was the basis for his teaching, not for any other reason but the firm conviction that the Christ (another word describing the Messiah which means the “anointed one” in Greek) had, in fact, arrived.
But who was he proclaiming as the Christ? In Luke chapter 22, Jesus stands before the elders and chief priests of the Jews and is asked point blank to answer this question:
He is then brought before the Roman governor Pilate and asked again if he is the Christ, the King of the Jews:
Prior to that moment, Jesus had repeatedly made similar claims; here are just a few examples:
From this it is abundantly clear that Jesus endured false trials, severe flogging, and death by crucifixion for no other reason than his claim to be God incarnate, the promised Messiah who would, rather than establishing a physical political kingdom as the Jews had expected, establish a lasting spiritual kingdom; redeeming his people by becoming the ultimate and final sacrifice to atone for their sin, bearing upon himself God’s wrath and punishment for sin, according to the sacrificial system that had long been established and practiced in the Jewish temple.
This being a matter of fact, if Jesus were not telling the truth about himself, we can no longer call him a good teacher who gave hope to the oppressed. Rather, he would be liar and a false prophet who deceived people and incited God fearing Jews to commit idolatry and worship him. He instructed people to willingly give their lives to him and his cause leading millions of followers to die in vain at the hands of their persecutors. Neither can we celebrate his rebellion against the religious establishment, since he would only have been replacing it with a more corrupt and deceptive religion than any that ever existed. In short, if the Bible’s claims about Jesus aren’t true, Jesus is the worst man who ever lived, not the greatest.
Still, there are some who deny that Jesus ever made these claims, choosing to believe instead that what the historical Jesus said and did is only embedded in the theological agenda of the gospel narratives and needs to be salvaged. This attitude is best represented by the efforts of the Jesus Seminar; a cadre of liberal scholars and theologians who voted on what Jesus did and didn’t say. Needless to say, only a small remnant of Jesus words remained (82% were deemed inauthentic). But why are the opinions of modern scholars to be trusted any more than the authors of the gospel narratives who claimed to be eyewitnesses of Jesus? And if the Bible isn’t trustworthy, is there another more credible account of Jesus to be found? The fact is, there is not. The Bible is the most detailed and explanatory volume we have regarding the person and work of Jesus. Yes, it is filled with dogmatic assertions about his divinity, but those assertions are no more dogmatic than the censures of the relativistic Jesus Seminar.
Recommended Reading and Sources Used:
The Bible (choose a reliable and coherent English translation such as the New International Version or English Standard Version, NIV quotations were used for this blog, however, the ESV is known to be a more literal translation).
American Jesus by Stephen Prothero
Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll
Jesus was born into a religious community during a time in which expectancy of the Messiah, the promised Savior of the Jews prophesied about in the books written by Moses (e.g. Deuteronomy 18:14-22) and the prophetic books, had reached a fever pitch. It was an environment more emotionally and religiously charged than the presidential election in our own day. Everyone wants to know who it’s going to be, everyone is waiting and watching for their redeemer. Primarily, this is because they had endured a long history of exile and occupation by the Assyrians, by the Babylonians, by Persia, by the Greeks, and now the seemingly unbreakable Romans had taken over. They knew from prophesies such as the one found in the book of Daniel (chapter 2 verses 24-35) that the Messiah would have to come soon. They were expecting a political ruler who would overthrow the government and take back Israel, liberating the nation from its captors. This was the world that Jesus came to.
Jesus began his ministry by opening up the scroll of the prophet Isaiah (61:1,2) and reading in the Jewish synagogue: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom to prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor…” and then he said “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” The Jews would have understood this as a claim that the Messiah had in fact come and they would soon be free from the political oppression of Rome. We then read that he went on to preach “the good news of the kingdom of God, for which he was sent”. So, this was the basis for his teaching, not for any other reason but the firm conviction that the Christ (another word describing the Messiah which means the “anointed one” in Greek) had, in fact, arrived.
But who was he proclaiming as the Christ? In Luke chapter 22, Jesus stands before the elders and chief priests of the Jews and is asked point blank to answer this question:
“If you are the Christ,” they said “tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.” They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You are right in saying I am.” Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.”
He is then brought before the Roman governor Pilate and asked again if he is the Christ, the King of the Jews:
“So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” “Yes it is as you say,” Jesus replied.”
Prior to that moment, Jesus had repeatedly made similar claims; here are just a few examples:
“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Matthew 11:27
“Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, ‘Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Mark 2:6,7
“You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.” John 10:23,24
"We are not stoning you for any of these [miracles]," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." John 10:33
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:6,7
From this it is abundantly clear that Jesus endured false trials, severe flogging, and death by crucifixion for no other reason than his claim to be God incarnate, the promised Messiah who would, rather than establishing a physical political kingdom as the Jews had expected, establish a lasting spiritual kingdom; redeeming his people by becoming the ultimate and final sacrifice to atone for their sin, bearing upon himself God’s wrath and punishment for sin, according to the sacrificial system that had long been established and practiced in the Jewish temple.
This being a matter of fact, if Jesus were not telling the truth about himself, we can no longer call him a good teacher who gave hope to the oppressed. Rather, he would be liar and a false prophet who deceived people and incited God fearing Jews to commit idolatry and worship him. He instructed people to willingly give their lives to him and his cause leading millions of followers to die in vain at the hands of their persecutors. Neither can we celebrate his rebellion against the religious establishment, since he would only have been replacing it with a more corrupt and deceptive religion than any that ever existed. In short, if the Bible’s claims about Jesus aren’t true, Jesus is the worst man who ever lived, not the greatest.
Still, there are some who deny that Jesus ever made these claims, choosing to believe instead that what the historical Jesus said and did is only embedded in the theological agenda of the gospel narratives and needs to be salvaged. This attitude is best represented by the efforts of the Jesus Seminar; a cadre of liberal scholars and theologians who voted on what Jesus did and didn’t say. Needless to say, only a small remnant of Jesus words remained (82% were deemed inauthentic). But why are the opinions of modern scholars to be trusted any more than the authors of the gospel narratives who claimed to be eyewitnesses of Jesus? And if the Bible isn’t trustworthy, is there another more credible account of Jesus to be found? The fact is, there is not. The Bible is the most detailed and explanatory volume we have regarding the person and work of Jesus. Yes, it is filled with dogmatic assertions about his divinity, but those assertions are no more dogmatic than the censures of the relativistic Jesus Seminar.
Recommended Reading and Sources Used:
The Bible (choose a reliable and coherent English translation such as the New International Version or English Standard Version, NIV quotations were used for this blog, however, the ESV is known to be a more literal translation).
American Jesus by Stephen Prothero
Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
His Name Is The Word of God: The Importance of Seeing Jesus From Scripture (Part 2)
With the dawn of the age of enlightenment in the 18th century, a shift in thinking occurred in which people began to trust the popular scientific theories of the day which denied the existence of miracles and anything that did not conform to the concept of natural laws, in this way they began to distrust the Scriptures which lay claim to many supernatural events and miracles.
In addition to that, philosophers such as Immanuel Kant and Soren Kierkegaard began to question how we perceive truth itself, rather than pursuing truth objectively, reasonably, and rationally they argued that because of the limits of reason one must take a non-rational leap into the unknown and pursue truth subjectively, since no one can really know anything with absolute certainty. Therefore, all truth is relative to the individual mind, and nothing can really be known for certain (of course, according to this philosophy, none of these ideas can be known for certain either). This thinking has both enabled some to believe what the Bible says about Jesus without obligation to provide evidence for its claims while leading others to dismiss the Bible on purely personal or emotional grounds without the need to justify their dismissal with evidence or reason.
This is only a small glimpse of the kind of social and philosophical climate out of which the United States was birthed, amidst the struggle for independence from Britain during the revolutionary war and the Christian revival known as the first Great Awakening led by men like George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards who spoke of the personal power of the Christian experience, a nation was founded that highly valued freedom and individualism. This kind of idealism forged a Christianity tailored to the individual as churchgoers and clergy alike began to consider less what God has done for all people but instead, what God has done for the individual sinner.
Out of this grew an intense focus on Jesus humanity and his communicable attributes; his mercy and grace, how he was a suffering servant who was tempted just as we are and a man who can relate to the individual sinner, in place of an emphasis on his divinity and incommunicable attributes; his justice and wrath, his holiness, his sovereign kingship and judgment of mankind. This change in thinking became most evident around the time of the Second Great Awakening which featured such voices as John Wesley and Charles Finney who placed a greater emphasis on human free will, the individual's own salvation and personal relationship with God, and were known for working people into the kind of emotional fervor we see today in Christian charismatic circles in order to incite a massive altar call. As Christianity in America by and large became more man-centered, it subsequently became less God-centered and lost its trust in the supernatural elements of the faith.
With the arrival of Charles Finney’s “new measures” churches began to take a more pragmatic approach to Sunday services, rather than looking to the power of the Holy Spirit to create new hearts and transform lives, they began to consider innovative strategies they might implement to fill their pews, many of which involved neglecting or dismissing altogether the doctrines that were most offensive to unbelievers such as hell and the atonement. Teaching centered itself around political and social activism and the Bible began to be considered more and more passé or even obsolete as modern evangelicalism and liberal Protestantism emerged.
The United States stands today as a nation that is celebrated for being multi-racial, multi-religious, and multi-perspectival; the relativistic non-rational ideals of philosophers like Kant and Kiergegaard are the rule, rather than the exception and now even the most far-fetched religious or philosophical claim may be accepted as truthful under the banner of “tolerance”. These forces combined with American consumer capitalism have led to a pick and choose variety of religion where any person may choose from a buffet of religious beliefs and practices without regard to its veracity, since truth is no longer considered objective, but is instead defined for and by the individual.
What is ironic about all this is that while those who subscribe to moral and religious relativism condemn dogma, since, according to their view, the truth can not be known, their claim to have an understanding of ultimate reality as essentially unknowable is equally dogmatic and is, in fact, an incoherent hypothesis contrary to fact. The claim that truth is unknowable is a truth claim in itself which inherently contradicts itself. Relativists somehow manage to slip past the religious radar and lambaste Biblical Christianity for its claim to have an absolute understanding of God and truth, all the while staking their radically dogmatic claim that ultimate reality is unknowable.
With this view in mind, it is not difficult to understand how such an exhaustive variety of contradictory conclusions about Jesus could be formed, entertained, and sustained. What is amazing, however, is that while the teachings about Jesus found in Scripture have been ignored; the name of Jesus still holds authority in every cultural setting. In each case, a particular group of people are calling on the authority of Jesus name to support their cause and they wield his name to gain respect that they otherwise might not have had. This is because they acknowledge, perhaps subconsciously, that Jesus is the greatest, most important, and most influential man who ever lived. But this can only be true if what the Bible says about him is true. I'll explain why in the next installment of this four part series.
Recommended Reading and Sources Used:
The Bible (choose a reliable and coherent English translation such as the New International Version or English Standard Version, NIV quotations were used for this blog, however, the ESV is known to be a more literal translation).
American Jesus by Stephen Prothero
Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll
In addition to that, philosophers such as Immanuel Kant and Soren Kierkegaard began to question how we perceive truth itself, rather than pursuing truth objectively, reasonably, and rationally they argued that because of the limits of reason one must take a non-rational leap into the unknown and pursue truth subjectively, since no one can really know anything with absolute certainty. Therefore, all truth is relative to the individual mind, and nothing can really be known for certain (of course, according to this philosophy, none of these ideas can be known for certain either). This thinking has both enabled some to believe what the Bible says about Jesus without obligation to provide evidence for its claims while leading others to dismiss the Bible on purely personal or emotional grounds without the need to justify their dismissal with evidence or reason.
This is only a small glimpse of the kind of social and philosophical climate out of which the United States was birthed, amidst the struggle for independence from Britain during the revolutionary war and the Christian revival known as the first Great Awakening led by men like George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards who spoke of the personal power of the Christian experience, a nation was founded that highly valued freedom and individualism. This kind of idealism forged a Christianity tailored to the individual as churchgoers and clergy alike began to consider less what God has done for all people but instead, what God has done for the individual sinner.
Out of this grew an intense focus on Jesus humanity and his communicable attributes; his mercy and grace, how he was a suffering servant who was tempted just as we are and a man who can relate to the individual sinner, in place of an emphasis on his divinity and incommunicable attributes; his justice and wrath, his holiness, his sovereign kingship and judgment of mankind. This change in thinking became most evident around the time of the Second Great Awakening which featured such voices as John Wesley and Charles Finney who placed a greater emphasis on human free will, the individual's own salvation and personal relationship with God, and were known for working people into the kind of emotional fervor we see today in Christian charismatic circles in order to incite a massive altar call. As Christianity in America by and large became more man-centered, it subsequently became less God-centered and lost its trust in the supernatural elements of the faith.
With the arrival of Charles Finney’s “new measures” churches began to take a more pragmatic approach to Sunday services, rather than looking to the power of the Holy Spirit to create new hearts and transform lives, they began to consider innovative strategies they might implement to fill their pews, many of which involved neglecting or dismissing altogether the doctrines that were most offensive to unbelievers such as hell and the atonement. Teaching centered itself around political and social activism and the Bible began to be considered more and more passé or even obsolete as modern evangelicalism and liberal Protestantism emerged.
The United States stands today as a nation that is celebrated for being multi-racial, multi-religious, and multi-perspectival; the relativistic non-rational ideals of philosophers like Kant and Kiergegaard are the rule, rather than the exception and now even the most far-fetched religious or philosophical claim may be accepted as truthful under the banner of “tolerance”. These forces combined with American consumer capitalism have led to a pick and choose variety of religion where any person may choose from a buffet of religious beliefs and practices without regard to its veracity, since truth is no longer considered objective, but is instead defined for and by the individual.
What is ironic about all this is that while those who subscribe to moral and religious relativism condemn dogma, since, according to their view, the truth can not be known, their claim to have an understanding of ultimate reality as essentially unknowable is equally dogmatic and is, in fact, an incoherent hypothesis contrary to fact. The claim that truth is unknowable is a truth claim in itself which inherently contradicts itself. Relativists somehow manage to slip past the religious radar and lambaste Biblical Christianity for its claim to have an absolute understanding of God and truth, all the while staking their radically dogmatic claim that ultimate reality is unknowable.
With this view in mind, it is not difficult to understand how such an exhaustive variety of contradictory conclusions about Jesus could be formed, entertained, and sustained. What is amazing, however, is that while the teachings about Jesus found in Scripture have been ignored; the name of Jesus still holds authority in every cultural setting. In each case, a particular group of people are calling on the authority of Jesus name to support their cause and they wield his name to gain respect that they otherwise might not have had. This is because they acknowledge, perhaps subconsciously, that Jesus is the greatest, most important, and most influential man who ever lived. But this can only be true if what the Bible says about him is true. I'll explain why in the next installment of this four part series.
Recommended Reading and Sources Used:
The Bible (choose a reliable and coherent English translation such as the New International Version or English Standard Version, NIV quotations were used for this blog, however, the ESV is known to be a more literal translation).
American Jesus by Stephen Prothero
Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll
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