Why Do We Believe What We Believe?

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Apologetics, Belief, Bible, Christianity, Faith, Knowledge, Philosophy, Presuppositions, Truth, Worldview

Recently I have been keenly interested in faith and beliefs. More to the point, I have been thinking deeply about the question why we believe what we believe. I am pretty certain that I’m not the only person who has gone through some  philosophical paradigm shifts in his life. As someone who has gone through his fair share of shifting beliefs, it interests me to consider the question of why we believe what we believe, and its corollary question what prompts us to change our beliefs.

Rethinking Hell

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Bible, Christianity, Death, Faith, God, Hell, Life, Theology

Since my mother passed away a little more than a month ago, I have been doing a lot of soul searching regarding life, death and everything. This has been a time of putting everything on the table and taking nothing for granted, but questioning all of my previously held dogmatic beliefs. The biblical concept of hell was the first to come under the microscope.

(WARNING: WHAT I’M ABOUT TO SAY MAY SHOCK SOME OF MY CHRISTIAN FRIENDS. PLEASE RESERVE JUDGMENT UNTIL YOU GET TO THE END)

Some may think I’m questioning hell because my mother died as an unbeliever. Such is not the case. My mother had confessed Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior, so according to Christian dogma, she is with the Lord as we speak. No it’s not my mother’s death in particular that got me thinking, but death in general. Come with me as I do a little thought experiment.

The Divine Purpose of Marriage

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Bible, Christian Living, Christianity, Culture, Devotional, God, Jesus Christ, Marriage, Morality, Theology

What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Mark 10:9 ESV)

It seems as if regularly the institution of marriage comes under attack. Whether it’s the continual profaning of marriage in our entertainment culture, our divorce happy society, or the recent efforts of the homosexual community for the acceptance of same sex unions as valid marriages, there are no shortage of attempts by the world to either marginalize marriage or redefine it (which is marginalization by another name).

Why all this rage against traditional marriage? The only answer that coalesces all of the various attacks on marriage into one cohesive answer is that this is just one phase in the overall rebellion of sinful man against God and his kingdom. How this relates to marriage is that all of these seeming disparate attacks on marriage have one thing in common — they seek to redefine marriage from a covenant relationship established by God into a vehicle of personal fulfillment. You see, God had a purpose behind marriage — a good and holy purpose — that man, in his sinful and fallen state, has perverted into a selfish purpose.

The Church’s Mission Statement

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Bible, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Discipleship, Evangelism, God, Grace, Great Commission, Jesus Christ, The Gospel, Theology

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV)

What is the church? Depending on whom you ask, the church may be described as a place where Christians meet to worship; in other words, the church is the building or place of gathering. This concept is furthered along when people say “they’re going to church.” However, most Christians understand that the church is not a building, but a people, a gathering, an assembly.

In Greek, the word for “church” is εκκλησία, which is a compound word that literally means “called out.” That’s a fitting notion for the church is comprised of those who have been “called out” of the world and into the Kingdom of God. This assembly of people who have been called out form the church. There is a sense in which the Church (Big “C”) is universal, or catholic (small “c”) because the Church is comprised of all those around the world who have called upon the name of Christ for salvation. There is also a sense in which the church (small “c”) is local; i.e., a local body or congregation of “called out” people who are part of the Church universal.

The Law of Love!

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Bible, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Faith, God, Grace, Great Commandment, Jesus Christ, Love, The Gospel, Theology

Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31 ESV)

It is part of human nature to seek answers to life’s most important questions — Who are we? What is our purpose? Where are we going? — and we seek answers to these questions no matter if we’re religious or not. If one believes in an afterlife, one typically believes that to get there one must pass some moral test. The problem is which moral test must we pass? What must we do to qualify for the afterlife? Usually, the moral test in mind involves live a good life, be nice to others, etc. The only problem I see with such moral codes is how do you know you’ve done enough good deeds? There is no security in a philosophy like this, and advocates of this line of thinking know deep down that this is true. In most cases, people who believe this think that surely if there is a God, he will let me into heaven because he knows I’ve tried my best to live according to this moral code.

Access to God!

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Access to God, Atonement, Bible, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, God, Grace, Jesus Christ, The Gospel, Theology

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. (Matthew 27:51 ESV)

Ever since the fall of man, recorded in Genesis 3, access to God has been forbidden. This was represented in the imagery of the angels with the flaming swords standing guard to the entrance of the Garden of Eden. Sin separates us from a holy God. Yet, communion with God is what we were made for. This presents us with a bit of a problem.

The history of the human race can be seen as man’s attempt to re-enter paradise. Various world religions, self-actualization, will to power, etc., all are fallen man’s attempt to regain paradise which was lost at the fall. Not everyone puts the quest in those words, but that is the heart of man’s quest. Unfortunately, man cannot ascend the mount to regain his lost sense of purpose and meaning because at the core of his fallen heart, he wants nothing to do with God or his ways. Fortunately for us, God has descended the mount to redeem his people. Through the promise of a covenant (the covenant of grace) made with Abraham and his descendants, God began the process of salvation that would culminate in the crucifixion of his Son, Jesus Christ.

The Traditions of Men!

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Antinomianism, Bible, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, God, Grace, Jesus Christ, Legalism, Roman Catholicism, The Gospel, Theology

And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” (Mark 7:6-8 ESV)

Christianity has always had to walk the line between two equally dangerous errors: On the one hand, the are antinomian (against the law) tendencies in some Christian circles, and on the other hand, the are legalistic tendencies in other Christians circles.

Antinomianism is typically defined as the belief that since we’re under grace, we no longer have to follow the law. This view has a generally negative view of the law — rules and regulations that have no chance to save, but only bind people in a hopeless treadmill of obedience that cannot save. Since Christ freed us from the curse of the law, the law is no longer binding on Christians.

The Lord’s Supper

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Bible, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Communion, Devotional, Ecclesiology, Faith, God, Grace, Jesus Christ, Lord's Supper, Theology

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Matthew 26:26-29 ESV)

Depending upon your church tradition, you either celebrate communion once a week, once a month, or on some other schedule. However, I wonder how many Christians really know the significance of communion, or the Lord’s Supper? I include myself in this query because I fall into the habit of treating the Lord’s Supper as just another ‘thing’ the church does regularly. Why is it that we are called to “do this in remembrance” of him (Luke 22:19)?

Let’s analyze the context of the account. This is the night before Jesus’ betrayal and crucifixion. It is also the night of the Passover celebration. Jesus is instituting a new covenant on the day of the celebration of the old covenant. Why? Because what we have here is a fulfillment of the old covenant and the establishment of the new covenant; one age is coming to a close and another is dawning. The time of promise is done, the time of fulfillment is at hand. All of these things are occurring at this moment in redemptive history. Furthermore, the Passover marked the most important event in redemptive history from a Jewish perspective. It was the celebration of God’s salvation of the Israelite people from their bondage of slavery to the Egyptians. The culmination of the ten plagues was going to happen and those whose homes were covered with the blood of the paschal lamb were protected from the Angel of Death.

The Unexpected Greatness of the Kingdom of God!

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Bible, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, God, Jesus Christ, Kingdom of God, The Gospel, Theology

And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” (Mark 4:30-32 ESV)

In Mark chapter 4, we get a somewhat abbreviated version of the parables of the Kingdom. These are a series of parables that Jesus tells to illustrate what the Kingdom of God will be like in this current age (“this current age” being defined as the “Church” age, or the period between the first and second comings of Christ). During this age, the Kingdom is a present reality, but not a fully consummated reality. There is, as some theologians like to phrase it, a tension between the “already” and the “not yet.” In other words, what Jesus did during his earthly ministry was to establish the Kingdom of God in this world, but not in its fullness. When Jesus returns at the end of the age, the Kingdom will be manifest in all its fullness and glory.

A Kingdom Not of This World!

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Bible, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, God, Jesus Christ, Kingdom of God, The Gospel, Theology

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” (John 18:36 ESV)

We are political creatures. All throughout human history we have been obsessed with obtaining and maintaining political power. From tribal leaders to despots to emperors to kings, the human story is one of political evolution and revolution. Given that, imagine the turmoil caused by Jesus of Nazareth when he comes onto the scene of human history. Recall the story of his birth as told in Matthew’s gospel and how Herod was “greatly troubled” at the announcement of the magi from Persia. Recall throughout the gospel accounts how Jesus upset the status quo of the Pharisees and the religious leaders of Jerusalem.

The anticipation surrounding Jesus was that as the Messiah, he would remove the Roman yoke of oppression, cleanse Jerusalem of its religious hypocrisy, and re-establish the Davidic Kingdom. Now imagine the disappointment following the crucifixion of Jesus. All of this Messianic buildup surrounding Jesus and it ends disgracefully with his execution as a common criminal.