Weight

Days of Silent Desperation

I am experiencing one of those seasons of life when it seems I am up against an insurmountable wall. As I try to climb over it I keep losing my footing, and disappointment arrives just as I am expecting victory. In these days as I cry out to God, "Lord, I need you to come through for me," and disappointment arrives I relate to the words of Job "Behold, I go forward but he is not there, and backward, but I cannot behold him; when he acts on the left, I cannot perceive him; he turns on the right, I cannot see him. But he knows the way I take." (Job 23:8-10)

I have felt so tempted to express disappointment and anger while accusing God of withholding good from me. I realized this week that I was at a crossroads. I had a choice to act in direct inconsistency with every thing I claim to believe, allowing my frustrating circumstances to define me, and dictate my emotions, or I could walk in all I hold to be true. God loves me. Difficult times come and shape our character, but they do not destroy children of the King. I am a child of God, not by virtue or effort, but because of God's love, demonstrated by Christ and His death on the cross.

Some thoughts came to mind. First, when I stop and look I can recognize God providing for us during a difficult time. We have not been forgotten. Second, we have great examples of faith in the face of adversity. Some dear friends have become models of faith for our family. Recently they sent this e-mail describing their battle with cancer:

"The cancer has spread to her liver, and spleen in the form of numerous lesions and some more involvement with bones. MRI’s are scheduled a couple of weeks from now to assess the bone situation. This cancer (Thymoma) is slow growing and is not particularly responsive to chemo. At this time she is not planning any sort of treatment regimen. Although I am always caught off guard by news of the onset of these episodes, it is not for lack of God sending ample information to bolster us up. On the Thursday night just prior to getting this news, [WE] read something together entitled “Expectancy” in “Our Daily Bread”. It was written months ago to be read on October 1st. There is no doubt that it was to help prepare us for the news coming on the afternoon of October 2nd.

“With a handful of Cheerios, I tiptoed across the deck in my backyard trying to sneak up on the fish in the pond. Perhaps it was my shadow on the water … or maybe I wasn’t as sneaky as I thought. As I approached the railing, 15 enormous goldfish raced toward me, their large mouths frantically opening and closing in eager anticipation of an expected treat. So, why did the fish so furiously flap their fins? Because my mere presence set off a conditioned response in their tiny fish brains that told them I had something special to give them. If only we always had such a response to God and His desire to give us good gifts – a response based on our past experience with Him that flows from a deep-seated knowledge of His character. When we as God’s children are living in faith, we can have an exciting expectancy and a quiet confidence that God will give us exactly what we need, when we need it.” By Cindy Hess Kasper

Indeed, [OUR] experience of having received great and wonderful gifts from God have conditioned us to expect that He will use every one of our life experiences for His Glory and our good. We are expecting yet another miracle."

This is not the first e-mail we have received from them. Some have been soul crushing, some filled with the amazing, and all have been filled with trust while facing the impossible. How small my problems seem in comparison. How embarrassing to struggle with trust when situations are compared. I thank God for the example of my friends, and the hope they bring to my faith.

Caedmon’s Call sings a song that expresses what I am attempting to express. It is called "Always Been there"

We’ve all got our burdens
Our secrets and our shames,
We’ve all been discouraged
and watched love fall in flames,
and when we hit the bottom
of all that we can bear
When we need you...
You’re rising like the morning sun
A pillar in the night
You looked into the void
and called it light
You are faithfully providing
for the trouble that we share
When we need you you’ve always been there.

Authority

This post is long, I had a lot on my mind:

I have theological beliefs at the core of who I am. Beliefs that explain who I am, the things I do, and why I do them. The begin with the fact that God exists and has revealed Himself to us. The revelation of God is important to us as humans. Had God not revealed Himself to us the we could not know Him, or talk about Him. I believe God has revealed Himself in two ways, through creation and through His word, The Bible. This really gets to the heart of what is on my mind. Because God has revealed himself through His word it is important that we give His word proper respect. I believe in the inerrancy of scripture. For a Christian that is the appropriate view of scripture. A view that has been fought for and defended throughout the ages.
The term inerrancy literally means “correct, containing no mistakes”. It can go as far as to mean incapable of making a mistake. The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, provides an understanding of inerrancy which includes the fact that God inspired scripture with the purpose of revealing Himself. The statement says that the Bible is infallible, divine authority in all matters on which it speaks. The writers of this document believed the Holy Spirit to be the author and authenticator of scripture by His inward witness and ability to help humanity understand God’s word. Therefore, the statement says that the Bible as given by God contains no error in its teaching.
The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy points out it is God’s authority at stake in the argument of inerrancy. Without a commitment to the Bible’s authority grounded in God Himself, a view of Biblical inerrancy means little. The Chicago statement says that the authority of scripture is impaired if total divine inerrancy is in any way limited or ignored.
Because of the belief of the early church that scripture was true and authoritative, they held fast to the truth of John 16:13 which teaches that the Holy Spirit is a spirit of truth revealing what the Father wills. The Apostles believed this, and were faithful to their responsibility of handing down the teachings of Christ, holding to a firm belief in the authority of scripture. Their devotion to preserving the authority of scripture helped the early church stand strong against the lies of Gnosticism. The same is true for the Christians that gathered in Chicago and wrote The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. They saw it as their responsibility to take a firm stand on inerrancy to protect the authority of the Bible from Christians who were becoming more liberal in their views, and a world that was increasingly skeptical of the Holy Scripture. This is why it is important for evangelical Christians to hold to a doctrine of inerrancy today. The Church has faced many challenges to authority in the past and their steadfast belief in the authority of scripture has helped them maintain a pure devotion to God.
The constant attack on the reliability of scripture does not end. Groups such as The Jesus Seminar, theological debates over homosexuality, best selling books such as The Da Vinci Code, and misguided assumptions concerning archaeological finds are all attempting to discredit the authority of scripture. The Christians of the first century found it important to stand firm on the doctrine of inerrancy. So must we. As 2 Timothy 3:16 says, scripture brings correction and reproof. This leads a Christian to repent and worship his God. Biblical authority provides ground for Christians to speak into society’s problems such as broken families, depression, and evil. Christians must take the example provided by The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy and once again renew their commitment to upholding the authority of scripture in hopes of reaching this lost generation.
All of this to say I become greatly frustrated when God’s word is abused, maligned, or overlooked. One personal area of interest to me where this happens is in the field of counseling. People with the best of intentions overlook the possibility of using scripture practically in healing the hurting soul. Rather than turn to the expertise of God who created emotional beings, they will turn to the so called experts, men like Freud, Rogers or Skinner who do not know God, or respect His word. There is a possibility of discovering truth in creation apart from full knowledge of God, but man’s worldview taints his interpretations of that truth apart from the interpretive lens of special revelation. This is why some observations of secular psychologists appear to be correct biblically. That is also why it is dangerous to integrate biblical counseling with secular counseling.
For example Freud believed our problems arise because of unconscious motivations that drive us to action using irrational forces. According to Freud, we do not have choice because human nature is deterministic. We have a life instinct pushing us toward survival, a libido that energizes us to do what we do. His view is biological. He believes what is wrong with man is fear and anxiety, namely the inability to trust, express anger, and recognize ones sexuality. His ultimate goal is to have pleasure, lesson anxiety and pain, and to avoid tension. Freud made some good observations; man does have a problem with fear and anxiety. Psalm 139:23-24 shows that God understands the anxious thoughts of man. God searches man’s heart to find any hurtful ways therein. Man does show the inability to trust and to express anger properly. Paul commands the Ephesians to be angry and sin not in Ephesians 4:24. Man does constantly seek to uphold self-interest in areas like pleasure and survival. In James 1:14-15, self-interests or lusts carry away and tempt men to sin. James says this eventually leads to death. Every area of man is depraved. Consider the alcoholic who following his pleasure dies from liver disease. Consider the lover of food who overeats leading to various health problems. Consider the workaholic who at the expenses of his family relationships works long into the nights. James is right that following our personal lusts result in negative consequences, possibly even death. While Freud’s observations concerning man’s struggle are correct, he is blind as to the cause. In Romans 3:23, Paul teaches that all men are sinful and separated from God. This is the problem with mankind. Men and women have been created to enjoy God’s presence in a dependent relationship expressed through worship and obedience. There was a choice on man’s part to disobey God and go a separate way resulting in the unhealthy conditions mentioned above. This choice was not the result of some irrational force; instead, it was initiated by an influential being. This being is known as the tempter, Satan or the Devil, who as it reads in 2 Corinthians 11:14 “masquerades as an angel of light,” who has servants who also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness in efforts to fool humanity into sin and ultimately separation from its creator. Jesus Christ says of Satan in John 8:44 that he was a liar from the beginning. That is in fact what we witness in the testimony of scripture as Satan disguises himself as a serpent and tempts Eve to disobey. When Adam and Eve made the choice to listen to the lies of Satan instead of the truth of God they at once stopped worshiping their creator through obedience and began worshiping themselves. Meaning, they looked first to their own needs and desires, not trusting God to know what was best for them even though it was God’s responsibility in the relationship to provide and care for his creation. God had given man great freedom, and man chose to use it to disobey God’s command. This placed man into a state of unholiness, separating him from his Holy creator, and bringing judgment from God. In judgment, God pronounced a curse. Before the fall there was a command to worship and obey God through work in the garden. Man and woman enjoyed Gods fellowship and found pleasure in serving and knowing Him. Now there is still work, but it has become toil outside of the presence and joy of God. Meaning has been lost. Shame, fear, discouragement, blame, and hardship all enter the lives of men and women in Genesis 3. God sent humanity out of his presence because of their disobedience. These conditions of hardship point to the absence of God’s relationship in man’s life.
Jesus Christ is the solution to man’s problems. Paul teaches in Romans 5:1 that because of Jesus’ willingness to be killed for our sins and raised from the dead for our justification we can now have peace with God. He continues in Romans 5:6 teaching that Jesus died for the ungodly while they were still in sin. He writes that God proved his love for his creation in this manner, the death of his son so that we might be reconciled in a perfect relationship with Him again. Through the redeeming work of Jesus, the psychological problems noted by many secular psychologists that plague man because of the separation sin caused become correctable. Paul continues in Romans 5:12 teaching that just as one sin of one man condemned all men, so one act of righteousness through Jesus can give life to all men. Jesus did not die to cure our psychological problems. Jesus died to save us from sin. The results of a restored relationship through the blood of the cross give the benefit of an unwavering joy. Christians are passing through a process known as sanctification in which they form into the image of Christ. While this process takes place, Christians must continue to deal with a conflict between two natures. Paul calls this a spiritual battle between the flesh and the law in Romans 7. The law is good and reflects the holiness of God. The law has been written on the heart of every man, woman, and child. In Jeremiah 31:33, God speaks of a new covenant with the house of Israel. One in which he will put his law on their hearts. Paul speaks of this in Romans 7:22 when he writes that the law is found in the inner man. This law, sometimes called our conscience, gives mankind its sense of morality. Because it comes from God, the law is spiritual in nature, and at war with our inner nature or propensity to sin. Paul describes in Romans 7:15-18 how his sin nature fights against the law. He finds himself acting in ways he does not want to act. He does what he hates. Because of the spiritual law Paul knows his actions are wrong, but his flesh desires them. Paul concludes in verse 24 that he is a wretched man without hope, and only Jesus Christ can save him from this battle. The role of the biblical counselor is the help a hurting population find true help that comes only through Jesus Christ. Once they find this help the counselor helps them begin a journey of being formed into the image of Christ.

God's Sovereignty over Man's Salvation

This video sums up much of what has been discussed recently on this blog. The video speaks for itself. Watch it and let me know what you think.

A SOURCE OF PEACE IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

We live in uncertain times. Anxiousness is in the air as we all await a solution to our nations economic problems. The threat of terrorism still lurks around the corner. War continues to rage with the promise of more to come. Even as Americans prepare to elect new leaders in November there is still a sense that our problems are bigger than any administrations solutions. The world looks on and awaits stability, but the more we strive to eliminate the reverberating motion of our problems the more our hands shake in the attempt. We are unable to control completely what is happening around us, and it leads to increased fear, anxiety, and worry.

I am thankful in times like these for the promise of the gospel. When we understand that there is a loving, powerful God who is bigger than our fears, worries, and anxieties then freedom is available. Recently I started a discussion on the gospel and I was encouraged by the responses I have received to the question, "What is the gospel?". Here are some examples of responses:

"because we are enemies in our minds due to evil behavior, Christ has to reconcile us to God through his physical death on the cross and resurrection to present us "holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation" if we "continue in our faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel". col 1:22-23a"

"God had an eternal, loving plan though - since the beginning of time. God chose out of the human race a holy people through which God Himself would enter the human race (through His Son) and make atonement for the sins of the people of the world. God's Son (God in the flesh) came to earth as the awaited Messiah within the Jewish race - Jesus the Christ. Jesus Christ was the perfect, sinless Son of God. Unlike us, it is well documented that He committed no sin. This allowed him to be our "sin bearer" (He would bear the consequences for the sins of the entire world) - the One that would allow Himself to be beaten, tortured and crucified on a cross whereupon God could pour out all of his vengeful, holy wrath upon this perfect sacrificial Lamb - His earthly Son. After receiving all of God's punishment that had been ear-marked for us, Jesus Christ died an earthly death. And then He did what no other earthly man could have done. He rose from the dead three days later. "

"In my own words, and another quote from Romans, the gospel is the fact that while man's free will was so fallen that he was incapable of seeking after God and pleasing Him that God sent His only Son to take on the sins of the elect and receive their judgement, which is death, so that "God would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." Rom. 3:26 "

"The salvation and reconciliation that God provided for mankind through his Son can only be received as a gift, by believing in his Son Jesus, not just intellectually accenting, but by acknowledging that Jesus died for my sins personally, and committing to a life of him as my Lord.Conversion then, is our “stake-in-the ground” if you will, but our journey does not end here. The Bible is clear that upon our conversion we have moved from the kingdom of this world, to the kingdom of heaven."

"Perhaps the “greatest” part of the good news is what being a kingdom citizen (or Christian) means for us! Not only are we saved from eternity apart from God, we are reconciled to God and to relationship with Him. We have the privilege of calling the infinite God of the universe “father,” or perhaps even more literally translated “daddy.” No other religion in the world has anything even remotely resembling the intimacy with which Christians have with their God. Benefits are manifold, and cannot all be expounded upon here, but include: comforting, being made complete (or whole), receiving mercy, seeing God, healing, purpose, empowerment to bear the fruit required of us, and a promise from God that “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6)!"

Many place their hope in the things of this world. Government (9-11 showed to us how quickly that can be shaken) Money (Stocks dropped 700 points this week, is that a safe place to rest our security?) Friends/Family (our life is but a mist, we are here today and gone tomorrow. We don't know when we will die let alone those we depend on. Again there isn't much security in people). Leaders, (if we are honest we understand that all of us are capable of doing terrible things. Our actions may not prove it today, but our thoughts do), ourselves (do you really believe you are capable to sustain your own life?) What then can we trust in?

In Psalm 2 we read

Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and against His Anointed...He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in his fury, saying, 'But as for Me, I have installed My king upon Zion, My holy Mountain'...How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

We learn that God is not worried about the chaos we fear. He is not worried about those who doubt or hate him. In fact he laughs. Why? He knows what the outcome is. He has established His plan and nothing will interfere. We can have confidence that when our hope is in the Salvation of Jesus, God will finish what he has started. After all, it was God the Father who loved us enough to send His Son Jesus. When we accept the gift of the gospel we no longer need to fear our immediate future, because we belong to the one who knows the future. We can cling to this security in uncertain times. Wall Street may fail, our government may fail, but our loving, sovereign God does not fail. We can trust in his promise to complete the work of salvation that he began in us with the cross of Jesus Christ.

"he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" Philippians 1:6

Removing the Obstacles to Lasting Joy

CRAFTED BY GRACE

Have you ever remembered something you learned years ago that in your present circumstances spoke to your heart in such a way that it moved you to a new level of understanding and appreciation for that knowledge?

This happened to me recently as I was reading a book by Jerry Bridges called Disciplines of Grace. In this book Bridges asks his readers to think about a sculpture of a man, who physically appears perfect in every way. The sculpture's physical features are perfect, but from his thighs downward he is unfinished, a mound of unsculpted bronze. In his hands the artist crafted a chisel and a hammer. The message seems clear, the artist wanted us to understand something along the lines of we choose our own destiny, or I can fix myself, I am in control.

The subjects hands are battered from misplaced strokes of the hammer, constant reminders of his own mistakes. Not knowing if the next strike of the chisel will cut himself off at the knee or allow him to move further toward his goal, he continues pridefully thinking I can do this. Bridges notes:

"I marveled at how [the statue] did depict so well the way many Christians try to live the Christian life."

Is there anything wrong with this thinking? Aren't we according to scripture supposed to pursue godliness? Doesn't 1 Timothy 4:7 say "...discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness"?

And what about Philippians 3:12-14 "Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus." Doesn't this mean that I am responsible for pursuing my perfection?

If we are understanding scripture correctly we must answer these questions in light of the statement "...for which I was laid hold of." Who laid hold of me? Jesus. Why? So I could pursue perfection. Perfection supposes change. We also know from scripture that the Holy Spirit is the agent of change. We actively pursue this change because we are taught in Hebrews 12:14 that without it no one will see God. 12:15 adds "See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God..."

We can change, but not on our own, it must be anchored to the work of the Holy Spirit through the grace of God. This is such good, and freeing news. Why? Grace is God's unmerited favor toward those who deserve only His wrath. Although we are sinners deserving of punishment, and discipline God, through the death and resurrection of His son Jesus Christ has graciously chosen to forgive us.

When we admit that we are hopelessly lost sinners doomed for punishment, and in need of a savior, God points us to the work of Jesus. By accepting the atoning work of the cross and resurrection we are united with Christ and in a sense covered by Him. The favor of the Father toward His Son becomes ours. We are clothed in favor. The Father no longer looks on us as sinners, but as complete in Christ. Totally accepted, totally forgive, totally free. It's His grace that frees us. There is nothing we can do on our own to be accepted.

Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."

My daughter has my acceptance. She is completely loved. Her position with me is set regardless of her obedience. I love her. Certainly she faces consequences when she does wrong, but she is never unloved, even in correction. Her position is not based upon performance. We are Saved by God's grace and our position of accepted in Christ does not change based upon our performance since we cannot earn God's blessings (see Ephesians 2:8-9).

The reminder of this lesson was so meaningful to me because many times I have fallen into the trap of misunderstanding Gods grace. Reviewing this truth has reminded me that on my worst spiritual days, the days I completely give in to sin, live for my pleasures, and just completely fail my God that I am still accepted, because my position is not based on my performance. There was nothing I could do to earn God's favor, it was a gift of grace, there is nothing I can do to lose it. On the other hand when I live out the best spiritual day, a day when I really connect with God, read my Bible, pray, and love others more than me I am still desperate for God's grace. Why? Because my position is not based upon my performance. I am a child of God, saved, accepted not by my good works, but only by His grace.

DON'T YOU SENSE THE FREEDOM IN THIS TEACHING?

Praise you Father for loving us so much that you sent your Son to free us from the bonds of sin, not according to our worthless works, but according to your amazing grace!

Come, let us reason together. Conclusion.

In this series of postings we have explored together an argument which defends the belief in a theistic God, specifically the God of the Bible. This final post on the subject will summarize briefly in bullet point fashion the argument, and conclude with one final thought on the subject.

My inspiration for such arguments comes from many devoted followers of Christ in the past starting with the Apostles. Above is a picture of Mars Hill. This is a modern day picture of the place where the Apostle Paul stood and argued for Christ with the men of Athens as recorded in Acts 17:22-32. At the conclusion of his speaking the Bible records the response of the people:

Acts 17:32-33 "Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, 'We shall hear you again concerning this.' So Paul went out of their midst. But some men joined him and believed."

Some rejected the message (atheistic), some wanted to hear more (agnostic), and some joined Paul, (believers). Certainly these are the results I can expect. My hope is that all would come to believe in Christ, but if the teaching on this blog leads one to want to learn more then my joy will be made complete.

This argument has been based on the teachings of Norman Geisler, and follows a logical progression to prove the probability of a theistic God. One step builds upon another, and I recommend before reading this post you read through the previous ones in this series.

The argument summarized:

1. Truth about reality is knowable.
2. Opposites cannot both be true.
3. The theistic God exists.
4. Miracles are possible.
5. Miracles performed in connection with a truth claim are acts of God to confirm the truth of God through a messenger of God.
6. The New Testament documents are reliable.
7. Jesus claimed to be God in the New Testament.
8. Jesus' claim to divinity was proven by miracles.
9. Therefore, Jesus was God in human form.
10. Whatever Jesus (who is God) affirms as true, is true.
11. Jesus affirmed that the Bible is the Word of God.

Which leads us to our concluding thought. Since Jesus affirmed the Bible as the Word of God, and we have shown that Jesus is God, we must conclude that the Bible is in fact the Word of God. Whatever is opposed to the Bible and the truth it contains is false. Some will read this post and argue against me claiming that I am using circular reasoning. Again, I encourage you to begin with the first posting in this series. If I began at step 6 then I would agree that the reasoning is circular, but when this argument begins at step one it builds upon itself. If a theistic God exists then there is the possibility of miracles. If Jesus is God, and proved it by a miraculous life, then he has all the attributes of God. God does not lie. If Jesus claims that the Bible is the word of God, and He is God, then we must believe Him. If the Bible is the Word of God we must conclude that Christianity is true as well. Since opposites cannot be true then all opposing world religions are simply false religions. Finally, we conclude that only Christianity is the true religion.

You have heard what I believe. Now what about you. What do you believe?

Come, let us reason together. Part 5

Building on the foundation laid in parts 1-4 this post will argue that whatever Jesus (who is God) affirms as true, is true. This includes His affirmation that the Bible is the Word of God.

God cannot make mistakes. One of His attributes is His immutability, or put another way, His unchangeable nature. Whatever changes acquires something new. God cannot acquire something new because if He did He would by definition not be God. Our idea of God is perfection. Perfection requires nothing more. God lacks no perfection. He needs nothing more. He cannot be more perfect or complete.

God cannot change. If He did He could not be God for this would mean He lacked some perfection.

God is an all-knowing, timeless being. He knows all of time in one eternal now, including the future. If this were not true He could not be immutable because He would need the ability to gain new knowledge, and therefore, would not be God. He is omniscient. He knows everything, He cannot be wrong.

Since God cannot err in His knowledge, whatever He knows is infallible. We have already argued that Jesus is God. Therefore, Jesus cannot be wrong. What He affirms as true, is true.

Jesus taught that the Bible is the Word of God. He had a high view of scripture. He taught that it was authoritative, imperishable, infallible, inerrant, historically reliable, scientifically accurate, and that it held ultimate supremacy. (At this point I must thank Dr. Normal Geisler again for his excellent work, and teaching from which I am going to borrow).

1. Authoritative.

Matthew 4:4, 7, 10

Jesus speaking"It is written 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'"

"On the other hand, it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

Matthew 4:4, 7, 10 are three examples of the 92 times in the gospels where Jesus uses the words, "It is written" in reference to the Old Testament. When He uses this statement its like He is saying "This is the final word on the subject." He believes the scriptures are the inspired word of God and He quotes them as having authority.

2. Imperishable.

Matthew 5:17-18

Jesus speaking"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished."

When Jesus uses the phrase "The Law and the Prophets" He is always referring to the whole Old Testament (See Luke 24:27). Nothing from these sacred writings will disappear until all has been fulfilled according to Jesus.

3. Infallible.

John 10:35

Jesus speaking"...and the scripture cannot be broken."

If you read this verse in context with 10:34-36 you find that Jesus uses three strong words to describe scripture, "Law", "word of God", and "unbreakable". Jesus thought of scripture as the unbreakable Law of God. It is the word "unbreakable" which carries the same meaning as infallible. God's word cannot be broken according to Jesus.

4. Inerrant.

Matthew 22:29, John 17:17

Jesus speaking in John 17:17, "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth."

Matthew 22:29

"Jesus answered and said to them, 'You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God."

God's word is not scattered truth, His word is true in whole. This is why we cannot pick and choose what we believe. This is why we cannot quickly claim a portion of scripture to be cultural. When we make these mistakes we begin to fashion our own god, the very essence of idolatry. Instead Jesus teaches us that God's word is without errors.

How many errors can God make? None, if He is omniscient. Whatever God decides to write would have the same nature of inerrancy as He does. We argue:

1. The Bible is the Word of God.
2. God cannot err.
3. Therefore, the Bible is inerrant.

If there is an error we must conclude that either God makes errors, and He is not God, or the Bible is not His word. If you deny that the Bible is the word of God you must deny what Jesus said about the Bible. If Jesus is the son of God, then the Bible is the word of God.

5. Historically reliable.

Matthew 12:40, 24:37-39

Jesus speaking, "Just as Jonah was tree days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

"For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be."

The manner in which Jesus is speaking of these two disputed accounts from the Old Testament shows that he understood them to be historical events. Jesus sites them and gives them authority. He uses the words, "Just as..." He bases his first coming on the Jonah account, and His second coming on the Noah account. Why would He compare myth with history? He would not. Jesus used the words, "So it will be..." He believed he was comparing true events with true events.

6. Scientifically accurate.

Matthew 19:4-5

Jesus Speaking "And He answered them and said, 'Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh'".

The most scientifically disputed chapters of the Bible are the first eleven chapters of Genesis, but Jesus affirms these accounts. He bases His teachings on marriage on the teachings of Genesis without shame. According to Jesus the creator made male and female, and marriage cannot be separated from creation. To the scientific question, "How did we get here?" Jesus answers from marriage instituted by God. Either Darwin and Evolution are correct, or Jesus is, but both cannot be correct at the same time. Jesus will not allow us to "spiritualize" away the literal male and female in the Genesis account.

Jesus said in John 3:12, "I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?".

Basically Jesus is saying to us if we cannot believe Him when he speaks of empirical scientific matters, then why would we believe Him when He speaks of spiritual matters. Jesus considered them inseparable. Yes, we have a choice to make!

7. Ultimate supremacy.

Matthew 15:3-6

Jesus speaking, "And He answered and said to them, 'Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, 'Honor your father and mother,' and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death.' But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, 'Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,' he is not to honor his father or his mother.' and by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition."

Jesus taught that the Bible alone holds supreme authority even in the face of conflict with the most revered human teaching. Scripture is God's supreme written authority.

"Jesus confessed the very things many modern critics deny about the Old Testament. If Jesus was right, then the critics are wrong, despite the pretense of having scholarship on their side. For if Jesus is the Son of God, then it is a matter of Lordship, not a matter of scholarship" --Norman Geisler

Which is what we have been arguing in this series of posts.

"Many critics assert that the first human beings evolved by natural processes. But...Jesus insisted that Adam and Eve were created by God. If Jesus is the Son of God, then the choice is between Charles Darwin and the divine; between a nineteenth-century creature, and the eternal creator."---Norman Geisler

This series of post has pointed to the fact that Jesus is the Son of God.

"Most negative critics of the Bible believe that the Jonah story is mythology. Indeed, with strong emphasis Jesus asserted that "just as" Jonah was in the great fish three days and nights, "even so" he would be in the grave for three days and nights. Surely, Jesus would not have based the historicity of his death and resurrection on mythology about Jonah."---Norman Geisler

The same is true of the Noah account. Jesus affirmed there was a flood. He would not want to combine the truthfulness of His second coming with a myth fueling doubt in the minds of his followers.

We come to a dilemma. Either Jesus is the Son of God, and the Bible is the Word of God, or not. If the Bible is not the Word of God, then Jesus cannot be the son of God. Why? Because He would have been teaching false doctrine.

"Many critics believe He was only accommodating Himself to the false beliefs of the Jews of his day about the Old Testament. But this hypothesis is clearly contrary to the facts. Others believe that since Jesus was only a human being that he made mistakes, some of which were about the origin and nature of Scripture. But his speculation too is not rooted in the facts of the matter. Jesus neither accommodated false beliefs nor was He limited in His authority to teach the truth of God."---Norman Geisler.

Jesus affirmed that the Bible is the Word of God. Therefore, it is true that the Bible is the Word of God, and whatever stands in opposition to biblical truth is false.

Come, let us reason together. Part 4

In the last post I continued an argument for the reliability of the New Testament. Based on that foundation this post will explore Christ's claim of deity in the New Testament. Jesus claimed to be God. This point is crucial to the overall argument. The logic behind this began with the statement that truth about reality is knowable. There are some things of which we can be absolutely sure (i.e., 2+2=4). I have also argued that the opposite of truth is false. The Law of Non-contradiction says opposite ideas cannot be both true at the same time and in the same place. That means all religions cannot be true, they teach opposites. Opposites cannot both be true at the same time or in the same place. Is it true that a theistic God exists? We explored this statement through different arguments for Gods existence. Because of these arguments we noted the probability of Gods existence. If God exists then miracles are possible, and they can be used to confirm a message from God. The New Testament can be trusted as a historically reliable source, and confirms Gods existence. This post will show that the New Testament confirms Jesus as God, as well as His message as coming from God.

Numerous times in the New Testament Jesus claimed to be God:

1. Jesus claimed to be God in the New Testament. He claimed to be the "I Am" of Exodus 3:14,

"God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM'; and He said 'Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'The Lord, the God of Issac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and this is my memorial name to all generations."

In John 8:58 Jesus says,

"Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am."

2. Jesus also forgave sins which only God can do. Mark 2:5-7 reads,

"'Son, your sins are forgiven.' But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 'Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?'"

3. Jesus claimed that He should be honored just as God the Father is honored. In John 5:23 Jesus says,

"He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent me."

4. Jesus said he was the Jewish Messiah, who was God according to the Old Testament passages Isaiah 9:6, Psalms 110:1, and Zechariah 12:10. Zechariah reads,

"I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on ME whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn."

This passage shows that God is the Messiah, but also that the Messiah would suffer by a piercing. It also speaks of the Spirit being poured out. Incidentally these are the events we see happening around Christs death and resurrection.

In John 4:25-26 Jesus claims to be that Messiah,

"The woman said to Him, 'I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.' Jesus said to her, 'I who speak to you am He.'"

5. Jesus went as far as to accept worship on numerous occasions. The Bible presents worship as due only to God. Jesus Himself states this as true in Matthew 4:10,

"Go, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'"

Jesus however, accepts worship. In Matthew 8:2 a healed leaper worships Him, in Matthew 9:18 a ruler kneels before Him with a request, in Matthew 14:33 those in the boat worship Him after He calms the storm, and in Matthew 28:17 the disciples worshiped Him. While these are only a handful of examples from the Gospel of Matthew there are many more in the Gospels. What is noteworthy about a study on the accounts of worship given to Christ in the Gospels is that Jesus never rebuked anyone for worshiping Him, and on occasion He commended those who did.

6. Jesus put His words on the same level as God's. In Matthew 24:35 Jesus says

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away."

7. Jesus asked His disciples to pray in His name. In John 14:13 Jesus says

"Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

8. Jesus accepted titles of deity in scripture. In John 20:28 Jesus does not condemn Thomas for calling Him Lord and God.

"Thomas answered and said to Him, 'My Lord and my God!'"

These are eight ways in which Jesus claimed to be God in the New Testament. Why is this important? It is important because scripture also confirms His message as being from God. Since we can trust scripture as historically reliable the message it confirms deserves our attention. How does it confirm Christ's message? Jesus's claim to be God is confirmed in three ways. First, His fulfillment of prophecy. Second, His sinless and miraculous life. And third, His predictions and accomplishment of His resurrection. These are three things that no other religions leader can claim.

First His fulfillment of prophecy. The Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would be God (Psalms 2:7, 45:6, 110:1; Isaiah 7:14, 9:6; Zechariah 12:10). For example Isaiah 9:6 reads

"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."

The Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would be God, and Jesus was the Messiah (John 4:25; Mark 14:61-62). Mark 14:61-62 reads

"Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, 'Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?' And Jesus said, 'I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of Heaven.'"

Since the Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would be God, and Jesus was the Messiah, He had to be God in order to fulfill these predictions.

Second, the Bible confirms Christ's miraculous life. Scriptures record more than 60 miracles that cannot be explained away as either psychosomatic, or as magic. The Bible also confirms that Christ lived a sinless life. This is impossible. No mere human could live 33 years in a sinless state. Christ even invited His enemies to look at Him and accuse Him of sin. None could.

Third, the Bible confirms Christ's predictions and accomplishment of His resurrection. There is plenty of evidence in scripture for Christ's death. The nature and extent of His injuries as recorded in the passion sections of the Gospel accounts are suffienct to show he died. The nature of cruxifiction itself assures us He was dead. The piercing of His side as assurance of His death in the Gospel accounts confirms He was dead. His death was predicted in the Old Testament (Isaiah 53, Daniel 9). Jesus Himself predicted His own death and resurrection (John 2:19; John 10:18; Matthew 12:40; Matthew 17:22). The Gospel writers wrote that His death and resurrection was accomplished (Matthew 28:6; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:39; John 20:27). What evidence do we have for the accomplishment of Christ's death and resurrection? First, the Jews admit that the tomb was empty, but they did not produce the body. Second, Jesus made 12 different physical appearances over 40 days to over 500 people. Third, many Jewish priests were converted and thousands of unbelievers were converted. Fourth, His unbelieving brother James and hardened opponent Saul were converted. Fifth, His scared, skeptical, disciples were transformed overnight into brave missionary martyrs.

The summary stems from all we have explored so far. Jesus is God, and He must be to fulfill prophecy, to manifest deity, and to redeem humanity. The Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would be God. Jesus was the Messiah, therefore He must be God to fulfill the prophecy. Jesus is the mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). He is the reconciler of God and man (2 Corinthians 5:19). Jesus must be both God and man to be reconciler and mediator because only a God-Man can bridge the gap between God and man.

(Thanks to Normal Geisler for influencing my thinking on this subject).