The purpose of trusting in Christ is for forgiveness of sins, because it is from sin that we need to be saved. “Christ died for our sins” and “was buried, and … raised on the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). If Christ was not raised, His death was in vain, your faith in Him would be pointless, and your sins would still be counted against you with no hope of spiritual life.
Without question, if Jesus is still in the grave, if He is perpetually the sufferer and never the Victor, then you and I are hopelessly lost. What if Jesus Christ were still dead and in the grave?
Since a Christian has no Savior but Christ, no Redeemer but Christ, and no Lord but Christ, if Christ is not raised, He is not alive, and our Christian life is lifeless. We would have nothing to justify our faith, our Bible study, our preaching or witnessing, our service for Him or our worship of Him, and nothing to justify our hope in this life or the next. We would deserve nothing but the compassion reserved for fools.
But, God did raise “Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification” (Romans 4:24-25). Because Christ lives, we too shall live (John 14:19). “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins” (Acts 5:30-31).
We are not to be pitied, for Paul wrote “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). As Paul said at the end of his life, “I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him [i.e. his life] until that day” (2 Timothy 1:12).
Those who do not hope in Christ alone for salvation are the real fools; they are the ones who need to hear your compassionate testimony about the triumph of Christ’s resurrection. So don’t forget resurrection day! Rejoice in it and glory in it, for He is risen indeed!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Saddleback Silliness
I'm sorry, but this is sad. This is a rather bizarre invitation from Rick Warren to the people in or near his church. “1. Open your heart to Jesus Christ. 2. Attend Class 101: Discovering Your Church Family. 3. Sign our membership covenant (explained in class). 4. Be baptized the way Jesus commanded and modeled for us. YOU CAN FINISH ALL 4 REQUIREMENTS IN ONE DAY - THIS SATURDAY!”
http://saddlebackfamily.com/blogs/newsandviews/index.html?contentID=2085
Forgive me as I really haven't paid attention to ole Rick lately and what he's up to. But, can you get any more seeker sensitive in trying to pad our pews? I don’t know which is worse (on Warren’s blog), the four requirements you can get done in one day or the eight reasons you should not procrastinate. Shouldn’t at least one of those eight reasons have something to do with Jesus Christ?! Every single one of them deal with "I" or "you"!! Sadly, the Saddleback piece is not an April Fool’s joke. 2400 attended and 800 were baptised according to the Baptist Press article about it. A big problem here is Warren’s emphasis is on joining HIS church - not THE church. Rick Warren will PERSONALLY teach the class and PERSONALLY baptize everyone.
I'll never be anyone's final judge, but it seems to me that if you're coerced to "give your life" to Jesus because Rick is doing the teaching and baptizing, chances are you could be fooling yourself. (Matt. 7: 21-23) It seems hard to argue against wanting 3000 people to be saved, and of course I would be for that as well. But not herding them through like cattle and giving them the rubber stamp of approval just because they took a class, probably quoted a prayer, and was dunked under some water. That's nowhere in the Bible. Rick claims he's trying to have another day of Pentecost like what was described in Acts 2. Does he not realize that was the very birth of the Church?? This was what was promised in the Old Testament and which came to pass once Jesus died and rose again and ascended into Heaven to be at the Father's right hand, and was given authority over the Church (Ephesians 1). This is not something we just go about trying to reproduce with marketing gimmicks.
It might not be as bad either if so many people didn't see this man as "America's Pastor". I realize I sound cruel, I just think this sort of thing ought to be seriously looked at. We're not trying to fill out churches with tares, instead we should be obedient to what God has entrusted us to, and let HIM build HIS church. Is this not what He said He would do? (Matt. 16:18) My wife asked me (jokingly of course) that if this meant she could complete all of that on one day, and never have to come back? And, to wrap it all up, Rick claims that it was going to be FUN! I never thought realizing my sinfulness & mourning over it was fun. I never cease to thank God what He has done for me through His Son Jesus Christ, and that does bring me joy unspeakable. But realizing your need for a Savior, and submitting your whole life and will to Him, requires a little more than a half day seminar. It requires saving Faith. And let me close by saying that its a faith that only God Himself can give. (Ephesians 2: 8-9)
http://saddlebackfamily.com/blogs/newsandviews/index.html?contentID=2085
Forgive me as I really haven't paid attention to ole Rick lately and what he's up to. But, can you get any more seeker sensitive in trying to pad our pews? I don’t know which is worse (on Warren’s blog), the four requirements you can get done in one day or the eight reasons you should not procrastinate. Shouldn’t at least one of those eight reasons have something to do with Jesus Christ?! Every single one of them deal with "I" or "you"!! Sadly, the Saddleback piece is not an April Fool’s joke. 2400 attended and 800 were baptised according to the Baptist Press article about it. A big problem here is Warren’s emphasis is on joining HIS church - not THE church. Rick Warren will PERSONALLY teach the class and PERSONALLY baptize everyone.
I'll never be anyone's final judge, but it seems to me that if you're coerced to "give your life" to Jesus because Rick is doing the teaching and baptizing, chances are you could be fooling yourself. (Matt. 7: 21-23) It seems hard to argue against wanting 3000 people to be saved, and of course I would be for that as well. But not herding them through like cattle and giving them the rubber stamp of approval just because they took a class, probably quoted a prayer, and was dunked under some water. That's nowhere in the Bible. Rick claims he's trying to have another day of Pentecost like what was described in Acts 2. Does he not realize that was the very birth of the Church?? This was what was promised in the Old Testament and which came to pass once Jesus died and rose again and ascended into Heaven to be at the Father's right hand, and was given authority over the Church (Ephesians 1). This is not something we just go about trying to reproduce with marketing gimmicks.
It might not be as bad either if so many people didn't see this man as "America's Pastor". I realize I sound cruel, I just think this sort of thing ought to be seriously looked at. We're not trying to fill out churches with tares, instead we should be obedient to what God has entrusted us to, and let HIM build HIS church. Is this not what He said He would do? (Matt. 16:18) My wife asked me (jokingly of course) that if this meant she could complete all of that on one day, and never have to come back? And, to wrap it all up, Rick claims that it was going to be FUN! I never thought realizing my sinfulness & mourning over it was fun. I never cease to thank God what He has done for me through His Son Jesus Christ, and that does bring me joy unspeakable. But realizing your need for a Savior, and submitting your whole life and will to Him, requires a little more than a half day seminar. It requires saving Faith. And let me close by saying that its a faith that only God Himself can give. (Ephesians 2: 8-9)
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Overpopulation of the World?
I've heard predictions of world overpopulation would lead to ecological disaster, famine, poverty and other woes. Philip Longman points out in the March 24, 2009 edition of USA Today, the world's population is expected to hit 7 billion by 2012, up from the 6 billion mark set in 1999. So, is overpopulation a real threat? Like so many other theories out there, I'm not so sure we should be quick to buy into this one either. Though population density can threaten sustainability in some areas of the world, the far greater danger for our future is what Longman calls "depopulation." On a global scale, we are seeing the population of older persons exploding and the numbers of young persons falling.
The trend toward depopulation started in Europe, spread to Asia, and is now detectable even in Latin America. The United Nations now predicts that total world population may begin falling as early as 2040, and much of the surviving population will be very old indeed. Listen to this from Longman:
Under what the U.N. considers the most likely scenario, more than half of all remaining growth comes from a 1.2 billion increase in the number of old people, while the worldwide supply of children will begin falling within 15 years. With fewer workers to support each elder, the world economy might have to run just that much faster, and consume that much more resources, or else living standards will fall.
In the USA, where nearly one-fifth of Baby Boomers never had children, the hardship of vanishing retirement savings will be compounded by the strains on both formal and informal care-giving networks caused by the spread of childlessness. A pet will keep you company in old age, but it is unlikely to be of use in helping you navigate the health care system or in keeping predatory reverse mortgage brokers at bay.
To state only the most obvious point, when the number of retirees is out of balance with the number of workers, there may simply not be enough economic activity to pay the bills. Economists and demographers will debate this new phenomenon, but from a Christian worldview perspective certain issues stand out. Longman underlines the fact that this looming population imbalance is the result of chosen behaviors and lifestyle changes -- not to forces beyond human control.
There is something haunting about his comment about pets: "A pet will keep you company in old age, but it is unlikely to be of use in helping you navigate the health care system or in keeping predatory reverse mortgage brokers at bay." The media have provided any number of recent stories on the fact that many Baby Boomers now look to their pets as children. Need we point out that the pets will not be able to return the favor?
Christians should remember that this issue is never isolated from God's purpose in creating humanity in His image and giving humans a distinctive role in the world. He also gave us marriage and the gift of children within the family. The world in general has changed the way modern people look at children. Now, children are a choice . . . and a choice many couples now do not choose. I might add that my wife and I do not have children as well at this point, and certainly I'm not advocating Children for everyone. But once a child is conceived, I see no other choice but to have the child.
Longman concludes: "Societies around the globe need to ask why they are engaging in what biologists would surely recognize in any other species as maladaptive behavior leading either to extinction, or dramatic mutation."
The trend toward childlessness bring consequences, and these are not easily reversed. The more we distance ourselves from the natural blessings of the natural family, the greater our vulnerability grows. China, Longman notes, is fast becoming a nation in which one child supports two parents and four grandparents. Not only is this pattern unsustainable -- it is untenable. So, I simply found all of this interesting as I've always heard that the world is in danger of overpopulation. It certainly appears that the world is very populated, but if this data proves correct, that could change in a couple of decades or so.
The trend toward depopulation started in Europe, spread to Asia, and is now detectable even in Latin America. The United Nations now predicts that total world population may begin falling as early as 2040, and much of the surviving population will be very old indeed. Listen to this from Longman:
Under what the U.N. considers the most likely scenario, more than half of all remaining growth comes from a 1.2 billion increase in the number of old people, while the worldwide supply of children will begin falling within 15 years. With fewer workers to support each elder, the world economy might have to run just that much faster, and consume that much more resources, or else living standards will fall.
In the USA, where nearly one-fifth of Baby Boomers never had children, the hardship of vanishing retirement savings will be compounded by the strains on both formal and informal care-giving networks caused by the spread of childlessness. A pet will keep you company in old age, but it is unlikely to be of use in helping you navigate the health care system or in keeping predatory reverse mortgage brokers at bay.
To state only the most obvious point, when the number of retirees is out of balance with the number of workers, there may simply not be enough economic activity to pay the bills. Economists and demographers will debate this new phenomenon, but from a Christian worldview perspective certain issues stand out. Longman underlines the fact that this looming population imbalance is the result of chosen behaviors and lifestyle changes -- not to forces beyond human control.
There is something haunting about his comment about pets: "A pet will keep you company in old age, but it is unlikely to be of use in helping you navigate the health care system or in keeping predatory reverse mortgage brokers at bay." The media have provided any number of recent stories on the fact that many Baby Boomers now look to their pets as children. Need we point out that the pets will not be able to return the favor?
Christians should remember that this issue is never isolated from God's purpose in creating humanity in His image and giving humans a distinctive role in the world. He also gave us marriage and the gift of children within the family. The world in general has changed the way modern people look at children. Now, children are a choice . . . and a choice many couples now do not choose. I might add that my wife and I do not have children as well at this point, and certainly I'm not advocating Children for everyone. But once a child is conceived, I see no other choice but to have the child.
Longman concludes: "Societies around the globe need to ask why they are engaging in what biologists would surely recognize in any other species as maladaptive behavior leading either to extinction, or dramatic mutation."
The trend toward childlessness bring consequences, and these are not easily reversed. The more we distance ourselves from the natural blessings of the natural family, the greater our vulnerability grows. China, Longman notes, is fast becoming a nation in which one child supports two parents and four grandparents. Not only is this pattern unsustainable -- it is untenable. So, I simply found all of this interesting as I've always heard that the world is in danger of overpopulation. It certainly appears that the world is very populated, but if this data proves correct, that could change in a couple of decades or so.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Amazing forgiveness
In July of 1984, when Jennifer Thompson was a twenty-three year old college student, a man broke into her apartment while she slept and raped her at knifepoint. She was eventually able to escape from him and later identified her attacker as Ronald Cotton. Though Ronald insisted that he was innocent, he was taken to court and, primarily on the basis of Jennifer’s identification of her attacker, sentenced to a life behind prison bars. Eleven years later, Cotton was allowed to take a DNA test, taking advantage of this new technology. The test proved his innocence. For more than a decade he had been behind bars for a crime he had not committed. Two years later, Donald and Jennifer met face-to-face and began a very unlikely friendship. Picking Cotton is their story.
Picking Cotton is a book that is co-authored by Jennifer and Ronald. It follows an interesting story with Jennifer narrating events up to the end of the trial, and then Ronald picking up the story, going over the trial from his perspective and describing those eleven long years in prison. While I have not had the opportunity to read this book, I've read quite a bit about this fascinating true life story. In the third part of the book, Jennifer and Ronald write together, alternating chapters as the story turns toward Ronald’s life after prison and Jennifer’s life after discovering her tragic error. In this third part we hear about what is really the heart of this story—their reconciliation. Despite what he had been through, Ronald never harbored resentment against Jennifer. When they finally decided to meet, he immediately and unreservedly forgave Jennifer for her mistake. I'm not under the impression that this is in any way a Christian book though. From my take on the book, it reads a psychological and medical perspective on why Jennifer chose the wrong man as her assailant; but never do we hear the Bible’s perspective on repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation.
We do see a great example of how a man can forgive somebody who has wronged him and how he can release any kind of bitterness. We also see a woman who has wronged another person seeking his forgiveness, and true reconciliation between the offended and the offender—reconciliation that creates a new relationship and a new friendship. In this way we see just a bit of the gospel message of the Bible that tells us how God offers free forgiveness and full reconciliation to those who have offended him with their sin.
This story was first mentioned (at least to my knowledge)in Chris Braun’s excellent book Unpacking Forgiveness where the story is front and center in chapter 1. It is a powerful story and one that deserves to be told. So this is not a book recommendation per se, other than just a story that truly touched me that I thought was worth sharing. I hope that I could find such forgiveness within myself, as I know that God has forgiven me through His Son.
Picking Cotton is a book that is co-authored by Jennifer and Ronald. It follows an interesting story with Jennifer narrating events up to the end of the trial, and then Ronald picking up the story, going over the trial from his perspective and describing those eleven long years in prison. While I have not had the opportunity to read this book, I've read quite a bit about this fascinating true life story. In the third part of the book, Jennifer and Ronald write together, alternating chapters as the story turns toward Ronald’s life after prison and Jennifer’s life after discovering her tragic error. In this third part we hear about what is really the heart of this story—their reconciliation. Despite what he had been through, Ronald never harbored resentment against Jennifer. When they finally decided to meet, he immediately and unreservedly forgave Jennifer for her mistake. I'm not under the impression that this is in any way a Christian book though. From my take on the book, it reads a psychological and medical perspective on why Jennifer chose the wrong man as her assailant; but never do we hear the Bible’s perspective on repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation.
We do see a great example of how a man can forgive somebody who has wronged him and how he can release any kind of bitterness. We also see a woman who has wronged another person seeking his forgiveness, and true reconciliation between the offended and the offender—reconciliation that creates a new relationship and a new friendship. In this way we see just a bit of the gospel message of the Bible that tells us how God offers free forgiveness and full reconciliation to those who have offended him with their sin.
This story was first mentioned (at least to my knowledge)in Chris Braun’s excellent book Unpacking Forgiveness where the story is front and center in chapter 1. It is a powerful story and one that deserves to be told. So this is not a book recommendation per se, other than just a story that truly touched me that I thought was worth sharing. I hope that I could find such forgiveness within myself, as I know that God has forgiven me through His Son.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Technology 24/7
According to a 2005 survey, most Americans—including children—spend at least nine hours a day watching TV, surfing the web, or talking on their cell phones. Of those hours, one-third of the time is spent using two or more of those media at once.
While technology has many worthwhile purposes, it demands a high price from us. Studies have shown that our increasing media dependency is crippling our attention spans, wounding our ability to create meaningful relationships, and generating a false expectation that we should be able to be contacted at every hour of the day.
Katie Dunne, a recent graduate of the University of Illinois, says that while the Internet has made it easier for her to find information for class, it also made it easier for her fellow students to avoid face-to-face interactions with their professors—and with each other.
She wrote in her school newspaper: “It seems like the more advanced our technology becomes, the more likely we are to withdraw from the real world. The intimacy of conversation and the integrity of relationships are compromised by quick and cold forms of communication.”
But getting away from technology is easier said than done. Many of us (myself included) couldn’t do our jobs if it weren’t for computers, cell phones, and PDAs. But the problem is when we leave work, technology is following close behind us in a stream of text messages, Facebook posts, and emails. We’ve become addicts to the god of information.
So, here’s a challenge that I've found (on the internet!) —take a technology sabbath.
Joe Carter—editor of the Evangelical Outpost blog—recently began making one day of his week completely technology free.
He writes on Boundless.org: “After drinking from the fire hose of information a day without info tech will seem like a year long drought. But by unplugging the god of Technology you might just find something new in the pause—a still small voice sharing the information that truly matters.”
But like anything worthwhile, taking a break from technology takes practice and patience. Here are some of Carter’s tips on making a technology sabbath worthwhile.
First, make sure to give yourself a full 24 hours, preferably from sundown to sundown. Let people know that you are unplugging, so they understand why you are not responding to them right away. Lastly, dedicate some of the time to practicing spiritual disciplines like prayer, Bible study, and attending a worship service.
In the meantime, meet a friend for coffee. And leave your Blackberry at home.
I'm not saying this should be dogmatic, but could be an interesting and rewarding thing to try.
While technology has many worthwhile purposes, it demands a high price from us. Studies have shown that our increasing media dependency is crippling our attention spans, wounding our ability to create meaningful relationships, and generating a false expectation that we should be able to be contacted at every hour of the day.
Katie Dunne, a recent graduate of the University of Illinois, says that while the Internet has made it easier for her to find information for class, it also made it easier for her fellow students to avoid face-to-face interactions with their professors—and with each other.
She wrote in her school newspaper: “It seems like the more advanced our technology becomes, the more likely we are to withdraw from the real world. The intimacy of conversation and the integrity of relationships are compromised by quick and cold forms of communication.”
But getting away from technology is easier said than done. Many of us (myself included) couldn’t do our jobs if it weren’t for computers, cell phones, and PDAs. But the problem is when we leave work, technology is following close behind us in a stream of text messages, Facebook posts, and emails. We’ve become addicts to the god of information.
So, here’s a challenge that I've found (on the internet!) —take a technology sabbath.
Joe Carter—editor of the Evangelical Outpost blog—recently began making one day of his week completely technology free.
He writes on Boundless.org: “After drinking from the fire hose of information a day without info tech will seem like a year long drought. But by unplugging the god of Technology you might just find something new in the pause—a still small voice sharing the information that truly matters.”
But like anything worthwhile, taking a break from technology takes practice and patience. Here are some of Carter’s tips on making a technology sabbath worthwhile.
First, make sure to give yourself a full 24 hours, preferably from sundown to sundown. Let people know that you are unplugging, so they understand why you are not responding to them right away. Lastly, dedicate some of the time to practicing spiritual disciplines like prayer, Bible study, and attending a worship service.
In the meantime, meet a friend for coffee. And leave your Blackberry at home.
I'm not saying this should be dogmatic, but could be an interesting and rewarding thing to try.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Theology is not a bad word...
Theology remains something of a bad word in Christian circles. I believe that the success of a book like The Shack has proven this to us yet again. Many people seem eager to embrace some form of Christian spirituality but have little desire or love for theology. It is associated with fundamentalism and with cold conservatism. We need only look at the meaning of the word, though, to conclude that God requires all Christians to be theologians.
The word theology is derived from two Greek words. The root “theos” means God and the suffix “-ology” comes from the Greek word for speak. So what theology really means is “speaking of God” or as has become the more accurate definition, “the study of God.” That not offensive, is it? If you are a Christian, I suspect that it sounds exciting. If you love God and if you are loved by God, you will want to know him. I don’t think any Christian can deny that we are called by God to learn more about him and to study his ways. The process of sanctification is just that—learning more and more about God and his requirements for our lives. Our lifelong challenge is to mold our lives to fit into that image.
If a Christian is diligent in studying God through the right motives and methods and for the right reasons, there will necessarily be change in his life. He cannot help but be changed by the living Word of God. However, if someone studies God only to acquire knowledge about him without applying any of that knowledge to his life, he is not so much studying God as he is studying the study of God. The study of God when done as he has commanded must always lead to application, heart change and then life change.
There seems to be a fine line here. The line is not found in what we study as much as it is the motives behind the study and the result we expect to achieve. For example, 1 Corinthians 11 speaks about the necessity of women wearing head coverings while in church. I can look at that section of the Bible in two different ways. I can go in with a motive of wanting to show that women are being disobedient and sin if they do not wear head coverings in church. I can begin this study with the intent to prove to my wife that she needs to wear a head covering next Sunday. On the other hand, I can turn to this section with a motive of wanting to understand what God is trying to teach us in this passage. I can seek to understand the principles the Bible is teaching and how those relate to people today. I can begin my study with the intent to learn something that I can humbly and prayerfully apply to my life. This is an extreme or simplistic example perhaps, but it displays the difference between wanting to acquire knowledge of God through proper or improper methods and for right or wrong intentions. It also shows how all scripture must be taken within context. Context is king as John MacArthur always says when studying the Bible. Too many people today take scripture out of context to make it say what they want it to say. Oh, and just to note back on the 1 Corinthians 11 example, a study of the culture at that time reveals a woman's covered head while worshiping was a symbol to signify a right relationship with her husband, in subordination, and that all was well. Paul is not laying down an absolute law for women to wear veils or coverings in all churches for all time, but that the male and female roles are to be honored in every culture.
I love theology. I love studying God and continually learning about him and about what he has done. I have to admit many times in my life I have learned about God simply so I could have more knowledge about him, never intending to change myself in response to what I have learned. There have been times where I have studied God just so I could convince others of their need to change. It is my prayer that whenever I study God I do so with proper motives and with a humble attitude, preparing myself to be changed by what I learn about him.
The word theology is derived from two Greek words. The root “theos” means God and the suffix “-ology” comes from the Greek word for speak. So what theology really means is “speaking of God” or as has become the more accurate definition, “the study of God.” That not offensive, is it? If you are a Christian, I suspect that it sounds exciting. If you love God and if you are loved by God, you will want to know him. I don’t think any Christian can deny that we are called by God to learn more about him and to study his ways. The process of sanctification is just that—learning more and more about God and his requirements for our lives. Our lifelong challenge is to mold our lives to fit into that image.
If a Christian is diligent in studying God through the right motives and methods and for the right reasons, there will necessarily be change in his life. He cannot help but be changed by the living Word of God. However, if someone studies God only to acquire knowledge about him without applying any of that knowledge to his life, he is not so much studying God as he is studying the study of God. The study of God when done as he has commanded must always lead to application, heart change and then life change.
There seems to be a fine line here. The line is not found in what we study as much as it is the motives behind the study and the result we expect to achieve. For example, 1 Corinthians 11 speaks about the necessity of women wearing head coverings while in church. I can look at that section of the Bible in two different ways. I can go in with a motive of wanting to show that women are being disobedient and sin if they do not wear head coverings in church. I can begin this study with the intent to prove to my wife that she needs to wear a head covering next Sunday. On the other hand, I can turn to this section with a motive of wanting to understand what God is trying to teach us in this passage. I can seek to understand the principles the Bible is teaching and how those relate to people today. I can begin my study with the intent to learn something that I can humbly and prayerfully apply to my life. This is an extreme or simplistic example perhaps, but it displays the difference between wanting to acquire knowledge of God through proper or improper methods and for right or wrong intentions. It also shows how all scripture must be taken within context. Context is king as John MacArthur always says when studying the Bible. Too many people today take scripture out of context to make it say what they want it to say. Oh, and just to note back on the 1 Corinthians 11 example, a study of the culture at that time reveals a woman's covered head while worshiping was a symbol to signify a right relationship with her husband, in subordination, and that all was well. Paul is not laying down an absolute law for women to wear veils or coverings in all churches for all time, but that the male and female roles are to be honored in every culture.
I love theology. I love studying God and continually learning about him and about what he has done. I have to admit many times in my life I have learned about God simply so I could have more knowledge about him, never intending to change myself in response to what I have learned. There have been times where I have studied God just so I could convince others of their need to change. It is my prayer that whenever I study God I do so with proper motives and with a humble attitude, preparing myself to be changed by what I learn about him.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Biblical Ignorance
"Researchers George Gallup and Jim Castelli put the problem squarely: 'Americans revere the Bible--but, by and large, they don't read it. And because they don't read it, they have become a nation of biblical illiterates.' How bad is it? Researchers tell us that it's worse than most could imagine.
Fewer than half of all adults can name the four gospels. Many Christians cannot identify more than two or three of the disciples. According to data from the Barna Research Group, 60 percent of Americans can't name even five of the Ten Commandments.
According to 82 percent of Americans, 'God helps those who help themselves,' is a Bible verse. Those identified as born-again Christians did better--by one percent. A majority of adults think the Bible teaches that the most important purpose in life is taking care of one's family.
A Barna poll indicated that at least 12 percent of adults believe that Joan of Arc was Noah's wife. Another survey of graduating high school seniors revealed that over 50 percent thought that Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife. A considerable number of respondents to one poll indicated that the Sermon on the Mount was preached by Billy Graham. We are in big trouble."
We may chuckle at a few of these statistics, but in reality this is very sad. Many people who call themselves Christians never pick up their Bible to read it. Can I argue that you really can't be a "true" Christian and not care about God's Word?
I even blame many of our modern day churches for this problem as so many of them never ask us to open our Bible during a worship service. We're growing an evangelical group of Biblical illiterates. One of the marks of true saving faith in a Christian is his or her love for the Word of God. Not only hearing it, but being a doer of it as well. James 1: 22 God's Word has stood the test of time and scrutiny and every King that has tried to do away with it has failed. God has preserved it throughout history for a reason. It's His attempt to communicate to a fallen world.
If we are truly saved by God's grace, let us encourage one another to read what God has revealed to us about himself. This is the only way we can know that we are worshiping the true and living God, and not just one made up in our heads.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
