As I am surfing the web the day after the death of a prominent television evangelist, I am finding many web sites and postings mocking the death of this person. A large number of these comments declare with conviction that this afore-mentioned preacher is now burning in hell.
There is nothing to say specifically about these responses, as they speak for themselves all that one would need to draw. However, I would like to take a brief moment to talk about the premise behind these declarations of eternal punishment met.
The charges are that this preacher preached "hate" and said "hateful things", and therefore is being punished. These days the word "hate" is largely becoming an emotionally-charged catch-all word to decisively deal with issues and people that we really have no intention of actually dealing with for whatever reason. That's as may be, but here's the real point:
This man's earthly body is now dead. So what stands eternal?
It is worth noting that neither this individual's doctrinal positions, political positions, nor his words gained him entrance into eternal life. It is only through Jesus' completed work at the cross, which this man clearly clinged to for most of his life, that causes him to enjoy this day what all Christians wait for and all honest seekers hope to find.
Every person, regardless of political positions or affiliations, speaks temporal words about temporal issues concerning a temporal world. In fact, these things do not even amount to even the briefest blip on the universal radar screen when compared to the absolute, permanent provision for our lives through the cross.
May we each come to know that more each day.
- Nathan
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Want Justice?
Over the last few days a major public firestorm has taken place sparked by a statement made by a certain radio personality last week. I have watched this sad story unfold on the news, and it seems as if there is absolutely no bright side to be found, from the history leading up to it, to the event itself, to the aftermath which has now resulted in that radio host losing his job.
Looking back, it seemed as if a new apology was given with each hour, sometimes lasting for many minutes. And yet with each same hour frustration also grew and grew, with consequences seemingly appropriate the day before becoming far too lenient overnight. At one point radio executives felt that a temporary suspension was a sufficient consequence while groups of people outside on the street and across the world felt that nothing less than termination would do - which in the end the executives adopted.
Through these differences, laid bare during the search for justice, and the subsequent inability to find it as pursued, a big question also emerges:
Could it be that we have unwittingly bumped into the truth? The truth that we are absolutely incapable of handling sin; whether we are the offender or the offended? This situation cries out plainly to a lost and dying world, that no matter what sort of consequences we design to punish ourselves when we sin, only the cross can satisfy our debts, and bring healing and new life to our brokenness. Contrast that with our inability to even see or agree on what is just; let alone hold to it in our lives. Yes, this week our human limitations have been placed out in full view of the world.
So what then is the solution? Jesus IS of course! Did not Jesus give Himself willingly on a cross so that we might life and have life more abundantly? Did he not suffer for our sins and transgressions, and bear the burden for our iniquities?
As in so many things, there is a much larger issue, and a bigger picture than anything we could ever dream today. Friends, brothers and sisters, reactions such as staging protests, calling for terminations, and getting angry are no substitute for the power of the cross - and frankly get us nowhere. Yes, our hearts ache at the brokenness we all experience on a daily basis; regardless of race - but it is at those times of our greatest need when we must turn our eyes towards Christ and place our trust in Him.
We say that we want unity, and we have not found it because we continue to look to every other place than that from which true unity can only come. There is no unity in specific causes for specific people, nor politics, nor science, nor competition, nor anything that is designed by man. There is only unity in our sin problem, and unity in the one and only cure given to us - which is Jesus.
And so after looking at what has happened in this case, one is left to wonder how we can even think we know what we're doing in situations like these. God is the righteous judge. God can search the hearts and minds, and nothing is hidden from Him. Why then has God been left out of this equation for so many?
The point at which this situation began is surely a dark spot, but so has been our response. Let us bathe all of these things under the light of Christ and find life.
- Nathan
Looking back, it seemed as if a new apology was given with each hour, sometimes lasting for many minutes. And yet with each same hour frustration also grew and grew, with consequences seemingly appropriate the day before becoming far too lenient overnight. At one point radio executives felt that a temporary suspension was a sufficient consequence while groups of people outside on the street and across the world felt that nothing less than termination would do - which in the end the executives adopted.
Through these differences, laid bare during the search for justice, and the subsequent inability to find it as pursued, a big question also emerges:
Could it be that we have unwittingly bumped into the truth? The truth that we are absolutely incapable of handling sin; whether we are the offender or the offended? This situation cries out plainly to a lost and dying world, that no matter what sort of consequences we design to punish ourselves when we sin, only the cross can satisfy our debts, and bring healing and new life to our brokenness. Contrast that with our inability to even see or agree on what is just; let alone hold to it in our lives. Yes, this week our human limitations have been placed out in full view of the world.
So what then is the solution? Jesus IS of course! Did not Jesus give Himself willingly on a cross so that we might life and have life more abundantly? Did he not suffer for our sins and transgressions, and bear the burden for our iniquities?
As in so many things, there is a much larger issue, and a bigger picture than anything we could ever dream today. Friends, brothers and sisters, reactions such as staging protests, calling for terminations, and getting angry are no substitute for the power of the cross - and frankly get us nowhere. Yes, our hearts ache at the brokenness we all experience on a daily basis; regardless of race - but it is at those times of our greatest need when we must turn our eyes towards Christ and place our trust in Him.
We say that we want unity, and we have not found it because we continue to look to every other place than that from which true unity can only come. There is no unity in specific causes for specific people, nor politics, nor science, nor competition, nor anything that is designed by man. There is only unity in our sin problem, and unity in the one and only cure given to us - which is Jesus.
And so after looking at what has happened in this case, one is left to wonder how we can even think we know what we're doing in situations like these. God is the righteous judge. God can search the hearts and minds, and nothing is hidden from Him. Why then has God been left out of this equation for so many?
The point at which this situation began is surely a dark spot, but so has been our response. Let us bathe all of these things under the light of Christ and find life.
- Nathan
Friday, February 2, 2007
Faith and Reason
Science is often forwarded as a substitute for "religion" because the two are seen to be mutually exclusive. Few would deny that science has a remarkable list of achievements. And yet, there are several large holes in science which make strict adherence to its ways puzzling within the context of the human experience. Still, some of those who cling to science exclusively attack "religion" (and by extension the Christian faith) as being myth - not able to be proven scientifically and therefore of no consequence and unreasonable - even dangerous!
Of course, many of us have little time available to develop even a cursory understanding of the depth of science; and yet some place much if not total trust in that which they cannot personally explain. There is also an expectation that science will progress indefinitely; solving all sorts of problems we now face today. What is most disturbing is that science is often given as an exclusive and sufficient basis for living. However, if change is the very nature of science, how can what science says is true today be true in one hundred years?
How can we give our spiritual lives over to science when there are so many facets of life that science is simply not equipped to address? Science can not assign any human life a value or purpose aside from that which relates to its position in the physical world; serving in some capacity on the food chain perhaps! Science is not adequate to address the uniqueness of an individual, nor the spectrum of emotions, capacities, endeavors, and accomplishments of that individual. So why consign spiritual life to a blind hope that someone might figure it out someday? What kind of "god" would that be to keep the world starving and waiting?
I do not write these things bent on disparaging the accomplishments of science; rather, to suggest that true reason requires weighing our achievements and our limitations - even our failings.
So what then makes the Christian faith different?
Faith is not the result of having "figured it all out". Those who claim Christ as their Lord, just as anyone else, move ahead not fully knowing the details of how their lives will play out, nor having all the answers along the way. And yet they are able to move forward because they put their trust in God. How is it that people come to trust in God? The seed for this trust is a spiritual conviction of God, which manifests itself in an individual lending a spiritual ear toward God. It is when we are receptive to what God has to say we find our answers.
Some disregard God of course. Some claim that God and His faith are unreasonable; and yet those same people cannot reason out God. Still, science, politics, business, and art are all frequently given replacement status for God - in the hope that by filling life with things to do, somehow in the end it will add up to something that will last. But how can these distinctly human endeavors lay claim to our spiritual lives when in the time of their considerable influence on daily life there is still painful brokenness in this world; seen and unseen? Those who wait for man to heal these wounds wait for something that man is incapable of providing for.
What's more, can anyone afford to stay idle in any aspect of life for want of complete knowledge? Does anyone really do this in practice? We cannot now reason the circumstances of our deaths nor the time and date at which we will leave this world. How much less can we reason that which happens after that inevitable death on our own. It is only through the lens of eternal life from an eternal God that life becomes anything more than a flash in the pan. That eternal God is the God of the Bible.
God is. Though we try to hide him behind confidence in ourselves, the evidence of God's provision can found bare in every place where man falls short. Though sometimes clouded by our mistakes, the fruits of God's faith are seen in the tender care of those who are motivated to compassion out of genuine, God-inspired love. The evidence of his sovereignty is written on the hearts of all people; though some may ignore or even make war against that immutable truth. Regardless, God is not shamed by our shortcomings, and his ways for life remain the perfect standard.
Best,
Nathan
Of course, many of us have little time available to develop even a cursory understanding of the depth of science; and yet some place much if not total trust in that which they cannot personally explain. There is also an expectation that science will progress indefinitely; solving all sorts of problems we now face today. What is most disturbing is that science is often given as an exclusive and sufficient basis for living. However, if change is the very nature of science, how can what science says is true today be true in one hundred years?
How can we give our spiritual lives over to science when there are so many facets of life that science is simply not equipped to address? Science can not assign any human life a value or purpose aside from that which relates to its position in the physical world; serving in some capacity on the food chain perhaps! Science is not adequate to address the uniqueness of an individual, nor the spectrum of emotions, capacities, endeavors, and accomplishments of that individual. So why consign spiritual life to a blind hope that someone might figure it out someday? What kind of "god" would that be to keep the world starving and waiting?
I do not write these things bent on disparaging the accomplishments of science; rather, to suggest that true reason requires weighing our achievements and our limitations - even our failings.
So what then makes the Christian faith different?
Faith is not the result of having "figured it all out". Those who claim Christ as their Lord, just as anyone else, move ahead not fully knowing the details of how their lives will play out, nor having all the answers along the way. And yet they are able to move forward because they put their trust in God. How is it that people come to trust in God? The seed for this trust is a spiritual conviction of God, which manifests itself in an individual lending a spiritual ear toward God. It is when we are receptive to what God has to say we find our answers.
Some disregard God of course. Some claim that God and His faith are unreasonable; and yet those same people cannot reason out God. Still, science, politics, business, and art are all frequently given replacement status for God - in the hope that by filling life with things to do, somehow in the end it will add up to something that will last. But how can these distinctly human endeavors lay claim to our spiritual lives when in the time of their considerable influence on daily life there is still painful brokenness in this world; seen and unseen? Those who wait for man to heal these wounds wait for something that man is incapable of providing for.
What's more, can anyone afford to stay idle in any aspect of life for want of complete knowledge? Does anyone really do this in practice? We cannot now reason the circumstances of our deaths nor the time and date at which we will leave this world. How much less can we reason that which happens after that inevitable death on our own. It is only through the lens of eternal life from an eternal God that life becomes anything more than a flash in the pan. That eternal God is the God of the Bible.
God is. Though we try to hide him behind confidence in ourselves, the evidence of God's provision can found bare in every place where man falls short. Though sometimes clouded by our mistakes, the fruits of God's faith are seen in the tender care of those who are motivated to compassion out of genuine, God-inspired love. The evidence of his sovereignty is written on the hearts of all people; though some may ignore or even make war against that immutable truth. Regardless, God is not shamed by our shortcomings, and his ways for life remain the perfect standard.
Best,
Nathan
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
The price of sin
When scanning the internet, I frequently find web pages that express anger towards God over the idea of eternal punishment, even consequence, for sin. Most often this anger is expressed with a statement like "the punishment of hell is too severe for the crime committed". If we dig a little bit into what sin is, we find that such is not the case at all.
For the Christian and non-Christian alike, sin is more than what it appears (or even doesn't appear) to be. Sin can speak volumes about our attitudes and world-views. For instance, our sin indicates that we have a compromised attitude toward our own personal responsibility. When we sin against others, we disregard those people and any pain or loss that they may suffer resulting from such sin. Some sins are so pernicious that our value of others is reduced to an appalling and sickening level; even to the point of using them to provide for our own selfish purposes. Sin is the means by which trust is destroyed. More than anything however, sin represents open rebellion against God.
In reality, sin does not start and end with an act. Sin starts in our thoughts and motivations, and often continues through to the consequences of having acted; which can be experienced even when there is no act. After all, is merely entertaining the thought any less serious? Regardless of whether we do act on these thoughts, the costs are far-reaching. Just as an unhealthy lifestyle can be harmful or even deadly to our physical bodies, a sinful lifestyle has its own consequences to our physical and spiritual health, and will lead to spiritual death.
To outright say then that sin is not serious, or that there are "little sins", or even to say that the possibility of punishment for these sins is unjust, is to be intellectually dishonest. If we have any pretense of exploring every possibility in our lives, then surely we must all entertain the potential of having sin in our lives. We must also consider the damage that sin inevitably causes.
Part of becoming a Christian is an inward conviction of the presence of sin in life, and the need to have this problem dealt with. This is not to say that the Christian life to follow is one of constant guilt and fear concerning sin. Far from it, the life lived for Christ in faith is at its core freedom from sin. The Christian consciousness toward sin is one of perpetual thanksgiving towards Christ.
So perhaps the most important point to remember is that God, after having created us with our own unique life, and after having warned us of the consequence of sin from the very beginning, has also provided us with a way to avoid those consequences - if we will receive and follow that way.
So why be angry with God?
Best,
Nathan
For the Christian and non-Christian alike, sin is more than what it appears (or even doesn't appear) to be. Sin can speak volumes about our attitudes and world-views. For instance, our sin indicates that we have a compromised attitude toward our own personal responsibility. When we sin against others, we disregard those people and any pain or loss that they may suffer resulting from such sin. Some sins are so pernicious that our value of others is reduced to an appalling and sickening level; even to the point of using them to provide for our own selfish purposes. Sin is the means by which trust is destroyed. More than anything however, sin represents open rebellion against God.
In reality, sin does not start and end with an act. Sin starts in our thoughts and motivations, and often continues through to the consequences of having acted; which can be experienced even when there is no act. After all, is merely entertaining the thought any less serious? Regardless of whether we do act on these thoughts, the costs are far-reaching. Just as an unhealthy lifestyle can be harmful or even deadly to our physical bodies, a sinful lifestyle has its own consequences to our physical and spiritual health, and will lead to spiritual death.
To outright say then that sin is not serious, or that there are "little sins", or even to say that the possibility of punishment for these sins is unjust, is to be intellectually dishonest. If we have any pretense of exploring every possibility in our lives, then surely we must all entertain the potential of having sin in our lives. We must also consider the damage that sin inevitably causes.
Part of becoming a Christian is an inward conviction of the presence of sin in life, and the need to have this problem dealt with. This is not to say that the Christian life to follow is one of constant guilt and fear concerning sin. Far from it, the life lived for Christ in faith is at its core freedom from sin. The Christian consciousness toward sin is one of perpetual thanksgiving towards Christ.
So perhaps the most important point to remember is that God, after having created us with our own unique life, and after having warned us of the consequence of sin from the very beginning, has also provided us with a way to avoid those consequences - if we will receive and follow that way.
So why be angry with God?
Best,
Nathan
Thursday, January 25, 2007
The force behind faith
Interestingly enough, the Christian faith is sometimes described as being motivated by guilt, shame, fear, or some other sort of coercive force or emotion. The objects most frequently credited as the fuel for such motivations would be sin and hell. While these are admittedly tough topics that anyone does well to be aware of, both often appear to be disproportionately cited as those which define the mindset of Christians as they identify and conduct their lives.
The consequence of sin is indeed something that all will have to deal with; but to limit the life given to Christ so as to resemble what is little more than a feeble act toward self-preservation is to entirely ignore the fullness which such a life brings - to say nothing of the true motivation through which faith grows and continues.
Faith in and obedience to Christ could more closely be described as the thankful response of a Christian having been both loved and spared from the just consequences of the brokenness of a sinful life by the strong hand of God.
In reality, the core motivation behind every Christian life is love, because the seed and growth of all faith comes from God. It is for this reason that salvation through Christ stands pure and true; as it can be only credited to God. There is no greater love than that which Christ gave at the cross, and there is certainly no guilt, shame, or fear of any man that can match.
It goes without saying that in practice the view of this love can be mitigated by the wayward actions of those who come in the name of Christ yet fall short in some way. Nevertheless, the work and name of Christ stand strong.
Best,
Nathan
The consequence of sin is indeed something that all will have to deal with; but to limit the life given to Christ so as to resemble what is little more than a feeble act toward self-preservation is to entirely ignore the fullness which such a life brings - to say nothing of the true motivation through which faith grows and continues.
Faith in and obedience to Christ could more closely be described as the thankful response of a Christian having been both loved and spared from the just consequences of the brokenness of a sinful life by the strong hand of God.
In reality, the core motivation behind every Christian life is love, because the seed and growth of all faith comes from God. It is for this reason that salvation through Christ stands pure and true; as it can be only credited to God. There is no greater love than that which Christ gave at the cross, and there is certainly no guilt, shame, or fear of any man that can match.
It goes without saying that in practice the view of this love can be mitigated by the wayward actions of those who come in the name of Christ yet fall short in some way. Nevertheless, the work and name of Christ stand strong.
Best,
Nathan
First Post
Welcome.
Being a Christian, I often visit Christian-oriented web sites looking for nothing in particular, but hoping to find something good and useful for the road ahead. Sometimes in doing so I stumble onto other web sites devoted to criticizing Christianity in one way or another. Earlier this evening, I came upon one such site. What bothered me the most was not what the site had to say, but rather the realization that at least as far as I could tell, there are few truly accessible opportunities to see both sides of the coin in a single place.
I must admit that my not having found many such web sites is most likely the result of my limited internet-search skills. All the same, the purpose of this blog is to estabish a place where these two viewpoints intersect as seen from an individual Christian's world-view.
I have not yet considered establishing a regular posting schedule; I envision posting when something moves me for now.
Best wishes,
Nathan
Being a Christian, I often visit Christian-oriented web sites looking for nothing in particular, but hoping to find something good and useful for the road ahead. Sometimes in doing so I stumble onto other web sites devoted to criticizing Christianity in one way or another. Earlier this evening, I came upon one such site. What bothered me the most was not what the site had to say, but rather the realization that at least as far as I could tell, there are few truly accessible opportunities to see both sides of the coin in a single place.
I must admit that my not having found many such web sites is most likely the result of my limited internet-search skills. All the same, the purpose of this blog is to estabish a place where these two viewpoints intersect as seen from an individual Christian's world-view.
I have not yet considered establishing a regular posting schedule; I envision posting when something moves me for now.
Best wishes,
Nathan
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