In 'The Great Sermon Series', Tim Challies Terrifically Analyzes Some Prominent Modern-Day Sermons

What makes a great sermon?  Author, blogger, and pastor Tim Challies attempts to answer this question by taking a closer look on some remarkable modern-day (20^th century and 21^st century) sermons in an absorbing 8-episode web series called The Great Sermon Series.

Celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation

Happy Reformation Day!

This year’s holiday is particularly special because it marks the 500^th year since Martin Luther supposedly nailed his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the All Saints’ Church in Wittenburg.  Some say that the act of nailing them on the door is just a legend.  Regardless of whether this account is literal or not, the point is, Luther had made known on this date the strong opposition he had for the Roman Catholic Church’s practice of selling indulgences and challenged them for debate.  Thus – though there were various figures prior to Luther that attempted to challenge and reform the Catholic Church, like Jan Hus and John Wycliffe – the event has become widely considered as the start of the Reformation movement.

How to Improve Christian Movies

I’ve already previously discussed my problem with Christian movies, and why I think the focus of the Christian filmmaking paradigm should shift from making Christian movies to making great movies.  For magnetic acting, brilliant direction, inspired scripts, engrossing storytelling, gorgeous cinematography, moving sound design, and exquisite production value can prove to be more impactful foretastes of the richness of the Gospel than a direct but diluted delivery of it, something most Christian movies are guilty of.  As a follow up on that, I intend to convey in this essay a thought, a suggestion, on how Christian movies can be bettered.

22 Bite-Sized Devotionals

Sometime in 2015, I posted a couple of mini-devotionals in Facebook everyday, for 22 consecutive days.  I recently found their drafts while cleaning up my files, and I decided to post all of them here…

A Musing on Christian Movies

I’m a Christian.  I’m proud of being so.  But I’m not proud of modern Christian movies.  Sure, there’s a few that I liked.  But even so, I’m generally frustrated because Christian filmmakers seem to be unable to make quality films.

You might say, “Hey, the important thing is that Christian movies may lead others to Christ.”  That may be true.  But we can’t give Christian movies a pass just because it has a “noble cause.”  It’s still a movie.  It should be subject to the same technical and creative standards that we hold for such form of art.  It’s not exempted from having its value as an art form evaluated and scrutinized just because it’s supposed to carry the Gospel.

Indeed, the Gospel is important.  And, yes, movies – like all forms of art – can definitely be used as a medium for its delivery.  But the Gospel is given more honor if it is delivered honestly, admirably, and beautifully. 

'Heaven, How I Got Here' Is a Gripping One-Man Play That Has More Theological and Artistic Substance Than Most Christian Films

Like many pastors during Easter, Colin S. Smith delivered a sermon series about the seven last words of Jesus.  A part of it centered on the thief on the cross, whose story he felt was the clearest and simplest story for explaining the heart of the Gospel.  After hearing this story, a dying nominal Christian comprehended the concept and value of grace for the first time.  Witnessing how the power of storytelling could help drive the point of the Gospel home, Smith then wrote Heaven, How I Got Here: The Story of the Thief on the Cross to deliver the Gospel to a wider audience in a fresh manner.  Less than a hundred pages long, the book tells the crucifixion story through the first-person perspective of the thief on the cross.

The book proved to be an effective evangelism tool – selling at least 50,000 copies – so Smith and his team decided to bring it to the next level: producing a one-man play adaptation of the book.  They offered the role to the youngest of the famed Baldwin brothers, Stephen (the only Christian among them).  He loved the character, but he was wary of accepting at first because he didn’t think he had the live theater chops for it.  In the end, he took it.  He asked God to give him what he needed to give justice to the premise and role.

A Final Reminder to Christians Before This Election

This election season, I find it both saddening and amusing that some of my Christian friends in Facebook are more passionate in promoting their candidates than they’ve ever done with Christ.  While they share dozens of posts endorsing their candidates (or discrediting his or her opponents) each day, they have rarely or not at all shared Scripture or posts glorifying Jesus Christ.  They actively engage in debate against others who support the opposing candidates, and yet, when it comes to urging others to believe in Christ, they shy away from it.  It’s as if having their candidates win the election is the most important thing for them.

There’s nothing wrong with desiring a better government and supporting a candidate.  But here’s a friendly reminder: we Christians shouldn’t lose perspective!  Our earthly citizenship and what comes with it – suffrage, politics, patriotism, etc. – is far secondary to our pursuit of the matters relating to our heavenly citizenship.

“Love the Lord with All Your Mind”: A Call to Pursue the Enrichment of Christian Intellect

One of the aspects of modern Christianity that I lament about is the seemingly lack of focus on developing intellect.  It’s as if there’s an unwritten, tacit paradigm that the intellect is irrelevant and irreconcilable with the spiritual.  Thus, many Christians tend to undermine or neglect or even reject the sharpening of the mind, which result to distressingly widespread gullibility, paranoia, and shallow – or, worse, false – theology.

Such Christians have no solid belief foundations, thus, they are easily swayed on what to believe in.  They easily embrace false doctrines (i.e. prosperity gospel, universalism) which they derive a feel-good feeling from, and eagerly adopt and switch to the current hot “Christian” fads – books, preachers, music, teachings – without thoroughly discerning if they are indeed supported by Scriptures.

Such Christians would rather waste time and effort on pursuing and promoting ridiculous conspiracy theories (e.g. “research” that “prove” that the world’s celebrities and elite are Illuminati) and sensationalized, unbiblical prophecies (e.g. the world will end at a particular date) instead of sharing the objective truths of the Gospel.  They burn Harry Potter books because they believe that these encourage children to practice witchcraft.  They share absurd “facts” or links on Facebook without verifying its authenticity (e.g. LOL means Lucifer is Lord).

A common practice among Christians these days is to take a minimalist stand when it comes to theology.  They say, “All that is necessary for me to know as a Christian is that Jesus loves me, I love him, and I want to tell others about him.  That should be enough.”  It sounds noble and humble, but in fact, it’s pretty dangerous.  Such approach eventually leads Christians to be exactly as what I’ve described in the past two paragraphs.  I also have to disagree that that “should be enough” for a Christian.  If we truly love Jesus, we want to represent him and his teachings with thorough Biblical accuracy – cautious and apprehensive that we might dishonor Him in painting our picture of Him to others.  Furthermore, according to the so-called “love chapter”, i.e. 1 Corinthians 13, an aspect of love is that it rejoices with the truth (v.6).  Hence, if we truly love Jesus, we should then sincerely pursue having a deeper understanding of His Truth and upholding it.

Furthermore, the Greatest Commandment (Matt. 22:37-38) says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”  It means that it’s essential for us Christians to love God with the utmost full extent of our being, and this includes utilizing the best of our minds.

Thus, I believe that the development of intellect is something important for Christians.  Now, I’m not saying it’s the most integral thing.  Of course, no matter how intelligent one is, without the Holy Spirit’s active revelation, discovering truth and obtaining wisdom are impossible.  But it’s nevertheless important for a Christian to make the effort of thinking with the best of his or her capability, and to be consistent and logical in his or her beliefs.

God's Sovereignty Extends Over Sin

Did God cause sin?  Hmmm.  “Cause” is a very tricky term.  It depends on what is the intent of using such term.  If “cause” would imply that God can be blamed for it, then God didn’t “cause” sin in that sense.  But if “cause” is simply used to mean ordaining it to be, then God “caused” sin.  God did not directly create sin, but He permitted it to be brought about.  Why?  For His glory, of course.

This might be a controversial assertion on my part.  But it’s what I believe in based on these presuppositions:

1.) The ultimate purpose of everything that God does is to bring glory to Himself (Exodus 14:4, 18; Isaiah 48:11; Romans 11:36; Habakkuk 2:14; John 7:18, 16:14, 17:24; etc.).  This is not because God is a narcissist.  It’s just that He’s the Supreme Being – nothing or no one is greater than Him.  If God would choose to value anything or anyone above his own worth, then He would be committing idolatry.  And, of course, that’s impossible for it would be contradictory to God’s holy nature.

2.) God has absolute supremacy in all things (Psalm 103:19, Isaiah 45:7).  He is in control always.  Everything that happens is in accordance to His will (Isaiah 14:24) – whether we perceive it as good or bad (Lamentations 3:38) – and nothing and no one will frustrate it (Job 42:2).  Moreover, God is not a passive God.  His omnipotence allows Him to hands-on direct every detail of His Creation to function in accordance to His will (Lamentations 3:37).  Even if there’s such a thing as human free will, such thing is limited, for it can’t go against God’s sovereign will (Proverbs 16:9, 21:1), and God would even proceed to manipulate someone’s will for His own purpose (Exodus 9:12, Romans 9:17, Deuteronomy 30:6).  Even the Devil is under God’s sovereignty, for he can’t make a move without God permitting it (Job 1-2).  And God sometimes allow evil to happen because His omniscient wisdom know that good will come out of it (Genesis 50:20).  Hence, whatever happens, it did happen because God ordained it to be so (either through permission or direct involvement).

3.) The second preposition is always actively working to bring the first preposition about (Psalm 115:3, 135:6).

Therefore, if these presuppositions are true – which I firmly believe to be so based on biblical axioms – I can conclude that since sin exists, then it’s only because God permitted it, so that this may become part of His overarching plan to ultimately bring glory to Himself.  How?  Consider this:

1.) God created Lucifer knowing fully that he would fall and become Satan.

2.) With Satan around, Adam and Even were tempted to sin.  God knew what would happen, but He allowed it, so that sin would exist.

3.) With sin existing, there’s now a need for a Savior.

4.) And by becoming the Savior, Jesus Christ is glorified (Hebrews 1:3, 2:9).

For God’s grace to be fully realized in our reality, sin has to exist.  According to Romans 5:20, “…where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.”  Of course, this doesn’t mean sin should be celebrated (Romans 6:1), but it tells us that there’s a correlation between sin and grace.  The greater the sin, the more glorious grace is for overwhelming it.  For us to appreciate Jesus as Savior, there must be first a terrible and desperate state to save us from.  For us to appreciate grace, we must first know sin and its consequence.  For us to appreciate being found, we must first have been lost.  For us to appreciate seeing, we must first have been blind.

In other words, sin per se does not glorify God, but the existence of sin provides an opportunity to display His glory.

Of course, no matter how well it is logically explained, through an inadequate and humanistic perspective, it’s difficult to accept that, though God ordained sin, He can’t be blamed to it.  For isn’t there fault in someone who allowed an evil to happen when he could have prevented it?

Let me use an illustration to explain how it can be.  Let’s say a certain novelist wrote a story wherein Jack murdered Bob.  We can say that both the novelist and Jack are responsible, at different planes of reality, of killing Bob.  However, only Jack committed the murder, not the novelist, for the novelist only wrote the murder into the story and it happened in the story’s world, not the novelist’s world.  Therefore, it would be tremendously unfair and stupid to try and convict the novelist for murder.  In fact, if the murder story turns out to be good, the novelist will receive acclaim by being a terrific storyteller.

Of course, we aren’t fictional characters.  But this analogy is to point out that the difference of levels between God’s Reality and our reality is so infinitely vast that ours is “fictional” in relation to God’s.  Thus, in this context, sin is serving as a “plot device” to the “best-selling novel” being written by God to bring a glorious ending to the epic story of His “protagonists” (i.e. His chosen people) and to Himself as “Novelist.”

Now, the Bible didn’t use an “author and his story” analogy.  But in Romans 9, the analogy of “potter and clay” is presented, which basically has the same main effect as “author and his story.” 

You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?”  But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?”  Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory.

 Amen!

Indeed, God is God.  He created us and this world we’re in, and He can do whatever He pleases.  And we don’t have the right to question Him in what He does, and He isn’t obligated to defend Himself (Job 38-42; Daniel 4:35).

For the depraved humanistic mind, this will prove impossible to accept.  Even Christian minds will have a hard time grasping this concept.  This definitely requires, in a sense, an advanced kind of intellectual capacity, as well as a complete appreciation and conviction in regards to God’s absolute sovereignty in all things and God’s passionate zeal to bring glory to Himself.

And, of course, it is also possible that I have erred in delivering an appropriate explanation about it and has undermined God (forgive me, Lord, if ever).  But, still, there’s no doubt in my heart that this is true – that God’s sovereignty is so gloriously absolute that it even extends over sin.

The Importance of Context in Bible Study: A Case Study of Hebrews 6

In reading the Bible, it’s important to have the humble and committed intent of understanding its contents by how the authors – as inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16) – had meant them to mean.  We can’t just take Scripture passages to support what we want to ideally believe in.  Rather, the Scriptures in its correct and complete context should shape our belief.  Otherwise, that would be dishonorable to God whose intent is to set the Bible as objective Truth.

Let’s take for example Hebrews 6:4-8:

“For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.”

Taking it out of context – If we don’t consider the verses prior (v. 1-3) and after (v. 9-20) – it seems a definite proof that it’s possible for a genuine believer in Christ to fall away and lose his salvation.  But this is, of course, a false conclusion; since throughout the Bible, the doctrine of eternal security for all genuine believers is emphatically affirmed.  To be read in isolation, verses 4 to 8 will really misdirect someone to a dangerous, heretical belief.  That’s why Hebrews 6 (or the book of Hebrews for that matter) should be read in its entirety:

"Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.
"Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
"For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, 'Surely I will bless you and multiply you.' And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek."

In verse 1, we see that the author of Hebrews calls for a deeper understanding of the Gospel – to move from the “elementary”-level of doctrinal knowledge towards “university”-level.  And what is that “elementary”-level knowledge?   It means foundational Old Testament beliefs and practices (v.1-2) that the Hebrew Christians are implied to be turning back to – as if Jesus isn’t enough for justification and that these works are still requirements for salvation.

But ironically, those who take verses 4 to 8 out of context are actually signifying the opposite.  The implication of their assertion that salvation can be lost by a genuinely professing Christian is that he needs to work to keep his salvation.  Now asserting that works are required to maintain salvation is basically equivalent to asserting works are required to obtain salvation.   Of course, works are essential in relation to salvation because the former is the evidence of the latter, but works are never required  to be saved.

In the context that the first verses of Hebrews 6 have set – believe that Jesus should be sufficient for salvation – then isn’t it more likely that verses 4 to 8 are actually just serving a rhetorical purpose for the  writer’s argument that Jesus is enough to sustain salvation till the end?  Because if it’s not, then it will contradict other passages that said that a genuine believer will persevere till the end and won’t lose his salvation.  It’s more probable that the writer intended this as a hypothetical scenario (v.4-6) to simply enforce the point that this would never be the case for someone with genuine faith in Christ, for if that ever happens (and it won’t), then he can’t ever be restored and it will be sacrilegious to Christ.

Furthermore, those who use verses 4 to 8 to insist that it’s possible for a regenerated Christian to fall away and lose his salvation always fail to consider the next verses.  With that said in verses 4 to 8, the writer of Hebrews found the Christians he is writing to aren’t like that described in verses 4 to 6 – further supporting the thesis that the scenario in that passage is hypothetical – for they are manifesting the evidence of genuine faith and are assured of salvation (v. 9-12).  And why are they assured of it?  Because God Himself promises and guarantees it (v. 13-18) and Jesus is actively interceding as High Priest (v.19-20; see also Heb. 4:14-16, and chapters 7 to 9)!

So, basically, Hebrews 6 was intended to be another affirmation that Jesus should be enough for salvation, that whenever God promises something – like the gift of salvation – then it’s guaranteed, and that Jesus is unfalteringly interceding for us as our High Priest, ensuring that we will keep the faith till the end.  But, ironically, by misquoting it out of context, some people can completely turn the message of Hebrews 6 around.

That’s why it’s really dangerous to quote Scripture out of context.  And besides, you know who loves quoting Scriptures out of context?  Satan (Matt. 4:1-11)!

Therefore, putting context on Scripture passages is really vital.  When we read a Scripture passage, we should not only focus on what it means by itself but also clearly understand its intended context.  We should consider the paragraphs prior it and the paragraphs after it.  We should consider how it fits with the overall theme and message of its chapter, and then its book, and then, ultimately, the Bible in general.

The Bible will never contradict itself.  Every Scripture passage will harmonize when taken in context.

Scripture Affirmed Calvinism for Me

Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, George Whitefield, Charles Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, John Piper, and R.C. Sproul. 

These are some of the notable names throughout history that have contributed to and/or have embraced Reformed Theology – or a “Calvinistic” view, as what it had been identified by many.  These faithful men of God have come to their doctrinal convictions, not because they have invented them out of thin air, but because they have turned to the Scriptures, thoroughly studied them, and made conclusions that they believed are firmly based on the Word of God and would glorify God the most.  As Charles Spurgeon once stated, “I love to proclaim these strong old doctrines, that are called by nickname Calvinism, but which are surely and verily the revealed truth of God as it is in Christ Jesus.”  Therefore, for them, “Calvinism” is just a labeling that got stuck, but essentially, it’s simply traditional Christianity.  They believe that Calvinistic doctrines are what the Bible has been saying all along.

To imply otherwise is a seriously unfair insult to them.

Likewise, to conclude that those who agree with Calvinistic doctrines, like me, deem Calvinist authors and their books to be above Christ and the Scripture is seriously unfair.  Isn’t it possible that we’ve come to agree with Calvinism, not because we think of it as superior to the Scriptures, but because – after personally reading and meditating on the Scriptures, not relying on our own intellect, but praying for the guidance of the Holy Spirit – we found out that it vibrates with the truth of the Gospel?  Because, personally, that’s how I had come to agree with Five Points Calvinism.    

The Bible is the Word of God.  Thus, everything in it is the absolute truth.  So as Christians, we submit to its authority.  I actually don’t accept doctrines or beliefs that won’t Scripturally hold.         

So whenever I argue for Calvinism, I do not rely on passages from John Calvin’s books.  I site Scripture texts.  As what Spurgeon once stated, “Defend the Bible? I would as soon defend a lion! Unchain it and it will defend itself.”  And the Bible affirms Calvinistic points easily. 

My call is not for division, but for my fellow Christians – especially my peers, the younger ones – to pursue a more in-depth, intellectual study of the Scriptures.   The Greatest Commandment goes, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”  With all your mind!   We can show love to God by making use of our mind at its most utmost ability.  And we can do this by thinking with all our might on what God means or intends with a certain Bible passage, corroborating it with other Bible passages, considering the context, and not by how we subjectively interpret it at face value.       

Christians love Truth, thus, if we profess to be Christians, we should always pursue the truth with the best we can, that we may glorify God properly.  As Christians, there’s the need to thoroughly study the Bible (Acts 17:11, Joshua 1:8, 2 Timothy 3:14-17) individually, and apply and celebrate its truths in our lives.  Furthermore, we are personally responsible for verifying doctrines and beliefs if they are indeed in accordance with the Scriptures.  If there’s the need for discussions among us in order to attain the truth (1 Peter 3:15-16), then let us do so – but in a gentle, humble, well-reasoned, Christ-exalting, and Bible-centered manner.  Most importantly, we should not obnoxiously rely on our own strength and mind during this process; on the contrary, we should humbly turn to the Holy Spirit and ask for wisdom and understanding.  And whatever He reveals to us – especially if we are proven wrong – we should submissively “Amen” on it.

God Assures Salvation

Will someone who believes in Jesus ever lose his faith and salvation?

No, he will not.

(In an attempt to be methodical with this thesis as much as I can, I will be delivering my analysis of it in a numbered point-by-point outline.)

1.) The Real Meaning of “Believe”

First and foremost, let’s make it clear that the term “believe” in this context doesn’t mean mere acknowledgment of the historical existence of Jesus.  Moreover, to “believe” is also NOT the mere utterance of the words “Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior” because one is “caught in the moment” (like, in an emotionally charged crusade); or because declaring it is something expected from him – a tradition,  a rite of passage – since he grew up in a Christian environment; or because of wrong expectations, to gain benefits – material blessings, problem-free life, etc. – that he thinks he will receive if he just “believes” in Jesus.

The word “believe” here should mean a genuine profession of faith in Jesus, as a result of a legitimate Spirit-convicted born-again moment.  It means that he believes in Jesus because of an actual, intimate encounter.

2.) Faith, Works, and Salvation

It is clear in the Bible that we aren’t saved by our works (Titus 3:5), but only by God’s grace through faith (Eph. 2:8).  However, the proof that faith is genuine is works (James 2:14-25).  Thus, the indicator that one is truly saved is the fact that he conforms to God's Word and pursues a holy life (Heb. 12:14, Gal. 5:19-21, etc.).

However, there is no verse in the Bible that would support an assertion that works are required to keep salvation.  In fact, asserting that works are required in keeping one’s salvation is as dangerously erroneous as asserting that works are required to acquire salvation!

True, it is said in Philippians 2:12, to “work out your salvation with fear in trembling.”  But it’s simply another affirmation that works are simply the evidence of genuine faith.  Take note that it says work out, NOT work for.  Hence, works are the application of salvation, and salvation is not an outcome of works.

3.) The Bible Affirms That God's Elect Won't Ever Lose Their Salvation… Because It Is God Himself Who Preserves It!

Furthermore, after Philippians 2:12, it is continued in verse 13 that it is God Himself who “works in you to will and to act”!  If it’s solely up to us to keep and work out our faith, then we will surely fail.  But it is God Himself who sees to it that we succeed.  Thus, salvation couldn’t possibly be lost if the sovereign God Himself guarantees it.

Jude 1:24 says that He will “keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy.”  He will keep us from stumbling, and will eventually perfect us (see also Philippians 1:6).

Hebrews 7:25 states, “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”  Christ Himself is interceding on our behalf for us to be saved completely (see also John 17).

John 10:28-29 states, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” There is no one or nothing powerful enough to take us away from God and make us lose our salvation.  Romans 8:38-39 further collaborates, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:30 clinches, by declaring God’s series of labors on a Christian’s life: “And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”  There is no mention of absolute removal in that chain.  Right from the very beginning – from even before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4) – God has guaranteed the salvation of His chosen.  Salvation can never be lost.

4.) It All Comes Down to Genuine Belief

Why then some “Christians” fall away from the faith?  Simple.  Their profession was counterfeit in the first place.  John 2:19 says, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.”

Scripture has provided ample verses to serve as a checklist in evaluating the authenticity of one’s belief in Jesus (as 2 Cor. 13:5 asks us to do). 

1 John 3:9-10 says, “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.”

The Parable of the Sower in Luke 8:5–15 also illustrates the different kinds of people that hear the Gospel, and one of these is “those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.”  So there are professing “Christians” whose faith appears to be authentic at first, but it has in fact never been so – “it has no root.”  Those who are sincere in their belief in Jesus are the good soil (v.15).  And those who fall away in the faith didn’t genuinely believe in Jesus in the first place.  For if they did, they would have heeded the Word of God (John 8:47).

Lastly, 2 Cor. 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”  So if someone says he “believes in Jesus” but doesn’t live as a “new creation”, then the conclusion is simple: his profession is fake and he’s not in Christ in the first place.

5.) God Restores

Again, if a “Christian” falls away from the faith, then his initial profession was false.  However, if he’s actually one of God’s lost children, God’s elect, then it will not end with him not completely knowing Jesus.  God will work to restore him (James 5:20, Acts 3:19-21, Galatians 6:1), and on the next time he professes his belief on Jesus, it would be then genuine.

In short, there is hope for “backsliders.”  The avenue of repentance and restoration is always a possibility.

6.) Be Forever Thankful for God’s Salvation

We might not fully grasp or completely err in our understanding of how our salvation came to be, but we aren’t saved because of this.  It is Jesus who ultimately secures our faith and salvation – 100% His work.  Thus, we should be eternally grateful to Him by living out this salvation everyday with works that will glorify Him.  

Thoughts on Halloween

There are many Christians that see Halloween as a demonic holiday.   They probably mean well in their show of disdain and scorn for it.  However, I don’t completely agree with them.  I understand where they’re coming from, but I don’t think it’s fully right to brand Halloween as essentially evil and declare that those who enjoy it are sinning.  I don’t believe that it’s necessarily a time of glorifying darkness and evil.  On the contrary, I think it’s a capital opportunity in declaring the Light (but I’m getting ahead of myself; more on this later)!

In this article, I will be discussing my thoughts on Halloween.  As usual in discussing these matters, I will do my best in tackling this in accordance to God’s standards.  But, of course, it’s always a possibility that I’m wrong with my beliefs and arguments, and I always welcome instruction and correcting from wiser people.  Nevertheless, at this point, what I will be laying down below is something I believe to be acceptable, logical, and would exalt Christ in the matter at hand (i.e. Halloween).

Background of Halloween

It’s considered by several historical sources that Halloween originated in an ancient pagan Celt festival named Samhain, on which the Celts simultaneously celebrated their harvest time and new year (November 1).  The ancient Celts also believed that during the last day of their calendar year (October 31), the spirits of the dead haunted the world of the living, so they would wear masks to ward off ghosts.

When the ninth century rolled in, Medieval Christians started celebrating “All Saints’ Day” on November 1.  Some historians hypothesized that, like the case with other pagan holidays, this was done by Christians in order to neutralize Samhain.  Vigils were done a night before the feast, and it came to be known as All Hallows’ Eve (“hallow” means “saint”, so it’s basically “All Saints’ Day Eve”) or Halloween, as the Scots put it.

The practice of dressing up for fun started with young people in Britain in the 16^th century, which they called “guising.”  These merrymaking, costumed young people would go house to house asking for “treats” in exchange for jokes, poems, or songs.  And this tradition would be carried over by immigrants to America, and would evolve into the Halloween that we know of today.

There’s also an alternative, darker belief on the origin trick-or-treating.   Some say that it started with the Druids, wherein they would go house to house to collect virgins or children as human sacrifice for their pagan rituals.  But what is being done in the present is closer to that 16^th century fad than this ancient pagan practice.

Modern Halloween Does Not Necessarily Celebrate Evil

It’s inappropriate to use Halloween’s pagan origin against it.  The relation of modern Halloween to the pagan practices of Samhain is pretty insubstantial, if there’s still one at all.  If you would choose to condemn Halloween because of its pagan connections, then you should also condemn Christmas, Easter, worshiping on the day of Sunday, and birthdays because all of these also have links to ancient paganism.  It was only because early Christians Christianized these pagan celebrations and practices – redeeming them and redirecting their purposes and form into those that will glorify God instead – that we modern Christians deem them appropriate in the present.

You may counter, “Regardless of its pagan connections or lack thereof, doesn’t modern Halloween celebrate darkness and horror anyway, and thus, it’s a demonic holiday nevertheless?”  That may or not may be true.  Either way, it’s not the really the heart of issue.  I will elaborate later on, but let me give my personal opinion about it.  I don’t think Halloween celebrates darkness per se, but a fictionalized version of it; “horror” in this context is that of fantasy.  Witches, ghouls, vampires, and other monsters – as they are being depicted in Halloween – are make-believe.  They aren’t any different from any other fictional characters – whom, by the way, people are also dressing up as during Halloween.  If anything else, the merriness is rooted in the dressing up and the treats obtained from dressing up, and not from having a delight in darkness per se.

Also worth noting is the overlooked fact that the original purpose of the early Christians to  illustrate the Devil with horns, tail, red suit, and pitchfork is not to lionize him and depict him as terrifying, but to mock him!  Martin Luther once said that “the best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him for he cannot bear scorn.”  The popular visual representation of the Devil is for satire rather than for horror.  Thus, if one dresses up as the Devil in this appearance, it’s actually more apt that it’s to ridicule than to honor – as what early Christians had intended.

So the “darkness” of Halloween doesn’t necessarily pertain to its actual essence, but merely a make-believe caricature.

Maybe there are some – Satan worshipers – who deliberately celebrate evil during Halloween.  But, as mentioned above, that’s not how Halloween is being essentially considered by most people.  It only becomes “demonic” if one treats it as such.  Besides, how the world celebrates a tradition or holiday has no bearing at all on how Christians should approach it.

Halloween Is a “Man-Made Pleasure”, Thus, Permissible… to an Extent

I’ve already written a more in-depth essay about man-made pleasures as a whole in the past (I suggest you read that, too).  But the arguments there also apply for Halloween.

Halloween has elements of fun and thrill and delight and beauty.  I’m personally charmed of the impressive, intricate work on the costumes and props being made; the generosity for candies and other gifts; the creative pumpkin designs; the entertaining Halloween cartoons; and the jovial and excited atmosphere.  So, clearly, there’s something pleasurable about Halloween.  And Christian should treat Halloween like how he or she treats any other pleasures that he encounters in this world – be that a tradition, a work of art, or a celebration – that they are gifts from God (John 1:17) which he or she must be thankful for (1 Timothy 4:4), enjoy in accordance to His provided instruction (according to the parameters of His Word; e.g. sex is only for married couples, consume in moderation, etc.), and, most importantly, be able to project the delight he or she derives from them into his or her ultimate delight in God.

Of course, since this world is a fallen one, the pleasures that God had intended for good are warped and now tend to misplace our joy and satisfaction.  Good thing is we Christians can repurpose them for the glory of God.  While the world enjoys these pleasures wrongly and incompletely in its own way, we can however take what is beautiful, discard or cure what is corrupted, and then sanctify these pleasures to serve as things that can glorify God.  (Yes, I believe Halloween can be sanctified, too.  I will be discussing this a little bit later.)

In accordance to 1 Corinthians 6:12, we Christians – who are already free from the Law – are given the freedom to eat anything, drink anything, and do anything (as long as it’s not sinful).  However, 1 Corinthians 10:31 also stated that whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, we should do it for the glory of God.  Therefore, we are permitted and allowed to do anything as long as we don’t neglect glorifying God through it.  So how can we then glorify God through our enjoyment of a particular pleasure – in this matter, Halloween?  We should first ask these things:

1.) Will we get a lesson from it?  Will it help us in our pursuit of holy living?

2.) Will it make us contemplate of God’s goodness and other attributes?

3.) Will enjoying it sharpen our own ultimate joy in God?

4.) Will we able to use it to point others to God? 

If the answers are all affirmative, then why not?  Let’s go enjoy it.

On the other hand, if there are doubts that we’ll be able to achieve those things, then it might be preferable to abstain from it.  Besides, in the same verse that declared we are permitted to do anything (1 Corinthians 6:12), it’s also pointed out that not everything is beneficial.  Hence, we should also consider carefully if enjoying a particular pleasure will truly benefit us and others.  Even if we’re permitted to enjoy something, we should still ask ourselves further:

1.) While enjoying it, will there be a high risk of being tempted to sin?

2.) Will I offend or trouble others when I proceed to enjoy it?

3.) Will I cause someone to stumble in his or her faith when I proceed to enjoy it?

If these would be the case, then we probably would please God more if we choose to abstain from it, even if it’s permissible to be enjoyed.

Glorifying God and recognizing that God is our greatest joy.  That should be what’s paramount to us Christians.  In the end, everything eventually comes down to it whether we should proceed to enjoy something – be it Halloween or any other pleasure – or not.

Sanctifying Halloween

Sanctification doesn’t mean “being separated from the world” only, but more accurately, it means “being separated from the world to be used for God’s purpose.”  And God’s purpose for us in this world is to know Him and make Him known.  We might not be of the world, but still, we are sent into it to be its salt and light.

Halloween isn’t anything different.  It can be sanctified.  The world might be celebrating it in its own imperfect way, but we Christians can use it to declare God’s glory.

Again, Halloween has elements of fun.  And things that are fun and joyful are opportunities to draw an audience to witness to and point them toward the splendor of Christ.

Kids, especially, are the ones that have the most fun during this event, with the candies and treats and costumes and all that.  This fun occasion can be used to teach biblical lessons to them, and make them realize that the reason they can enjoy themselves is because they are under God’s grace, and lead them towards the supreme joy in Christ.

Examples of some practices being done by Halloween-observing Christians (that I’ve read about) are giving out Gospel tracks along with treats to those who go trick-or-tricking on their homes, and having fun “counter-Halloween” parties in their churches wherein kids dress up as biblical characters or famous Christian historical figures.

What is preferable during Halloween, having a fun time and doing some witnessing or being bitter and gloomy and critical about it? 

Halloween Reflects Men’s Fascination and Fear of Death

Though I don’t agree that Halloween celebrates evil, what can’t be denied is it’s the time of year wherein everyone is provoked to think about death.  For centuries – through the various forms that Halloween has taken through history – death is something that humans are both fascinated and fearful about, as they conduct various means – from the ancient Celts’ mask-wearing to Hollywood’s horror films (and moviegoers’ penchant of watching such films, even the terrible ones, making the genre very profitable) – to both distract themselves of its eventuality and reflect on it.

This state of contemplation on death during Halloween is a great opening to share to unbelievers about the truth of eternal death that awaits in Hell and the eternal life that is found in Christ.

I Have Nothing but Respect for Those Who Don’t Celebrate It and Reject It

Nevertheless, if you’re a Christian that isn’t convinced that Halloween is okay, that it’s too uncomfortably dark, and reject it, then good for you.  That’s absolutely fine, too.  As I’ve mentioned before, what’s important is the thought of glorifying God.  Therefore, if your own personal faith and convictions led you to the conclusion that Halloween isn’t pleasing to God, then I really respect that.

In the Christian pursuit of exalting God, we are given the freedom of making choices without fear of condemnation when we pick the wrong choice out of innocent ignorance.  That’s why my advice to anti-Halloween Christians is to be not too quick to harshly rebuke their brethren who celebrate Halloween.  Take into mind that their purpose is the same as yours – glorifying God – and if they are indeed wrong in their means of doing so, like celebrating Halloween, let the Holy Spirit convict them about it.  You can gently share your opinions – preferably, with supporting Scriptures – why you think Halloween doesn’t glorify God, but you don’t have the right to objectively declare it as evil and condemn those who do celebrate it.

Remember who our real enemy is – it’s the Devil, not the kid in the devil costume.  And remember what our life’s main purpose is – it’s declaring the magnificence of Jesus Christ to others, not convincing everyone that Halloween is evil.

Don’t be mean and reprimanding just because someone greets you a “Happy Halloween,” or be sullen and stingy to someone who knocks at your door for some “trick or treat.”

I Actually Don’t Celebrate Halloween

With all my defense of Halloween, I actually don’t celebrate it myself.  For three reasons:

1.) Halloween isn’t deeply ingrained in Filipino traditions.  With all the facets of Halloween that I find interesting, Halloween itself is not something that I believe to be culturally significant and sentimentally important to be celebrated as a Filipino. 

2.) I belong in a Christian community that frowns upon Halloween.  Though I personally believe there’s nothing wrong with celebrating Halloween, I abstain from it to avoid offending or confusing other Christians in my circle.     

3.) Reformation Day fascinates me more.

Reformation Day is a holiday that commemorates the Reformation.  It coincides with the date (October 31, 1517) wherein Martin Luther notably nailed his 95 theses on the church door of Wittenberg, considered by many to be the time the Reformation kicked off.  It’s a terrific supplement to those Christians who celebrates Halloween, and a terrific alternative to those Christians who don’t.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Reformation Day also falls on the date of Halloween.

All Hallows’ Day and All Hallows’ Eve are, after all, the commemoration of the lives of the saints throughout history.  Thus, it’s a perfect time to thank God for using saints like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and other Reformers, who through their courageous and dedicated labors enabled Christianity to break itself free from the bondage of false doctrines.

Furthermore, “Post tenebras lux” is a Latin phrase that the Reformers had taken as one of their slogans.  It means “light after darkness.”  So, while Halloween has been associated with death and darkness, the Reformation has brought life and light to Christianity, which had been buried in false teachings and corruption for centuries.  It’s a wonderful analogy on what Christ has done for us.  From darkness to light.  From death to life.

Reformation Day dramatically changes the paradigm of Halloween.  So instead of Halloween serving as a reminder of darkness and death, we can now gratefully reflect on Jesus’ words in John 8:12:

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

What Can Christians Learn from Spider-Man

Jesus Christ is the ultimate standard of every Christian.  But through our earthly heroes – whether real or fictional – we receive reflections of the good and praiseworthy qualities that we can fully see in Jesus Christ.  And, at the same time, the good and praiseworthy qualities that we find in our heroes – real or fictional – are traced back or projected towards our admiration of the supreme worth of Jesus Christ. 

As far as I can remember, Spider-Man has always been one of my most favorite fictional characters ever.  However, it’s not only because of the coolness and uniqueness of the character that I get to love Spider-Man but, most importantly, because of the admirable qualities that make him a genuine role model despite of being a fictional character.  And Christians can learn some really deep lessons from Spider-Man. 

WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY

Let’s start with the most obvious – Spidey’s iconic motto: “With great power comes great responsibility.”  From what I’ve written about it before:

It simply means that responsibility always accompanies power, and the amount of responsibility is directly proportional to the amount of power; hence, the greater the power, the greater the responsibility.  And what is this responsibility?  To do the right thing, of course!  If you found yourself possessing the capability or are in the position to do the right thing, then you should do it.  Or as Martin Sheen (as Uncle Ben in 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man) put it, “…if you could do good things for other people, you had a moral obligation to do those things.  That's what at stake here.  Not a choice, responsibility.”

Therefore, if Spidey is put in a situation where he knows he can do something good, he jumps into it with no hesitation.  When facing a difficult choice, but it’s apparent that it’s the right thing to do, he will still choose it.  He takes responsibility of the good he could do with the power he found himself having.      

In the same way, we Christians have been given much “power” (2 Timothy 1:7, Acts 1:8, Philippians 4:13, Ephesians 3:20, Luke 10:19, etc.), hence, we should act on the “responsibility” that has been entrusted to us (Matthew 28:19, Matthew 5:13-16, Luke 10:30-37, Hebrews 10:24, Titus 2:7-9, etc.).  Nonetheless, we should not think that we have to immediately go “save the world” (besides, saving the world was Jesus’ job, not ours).  Yes, Spider-Man has been instrumental or has contributed to saving the world a couple of times.  But it’s only because of his consistent willingness to take responsibility and do his best in every chance he can do good that he developed the moral instinct and preparedness to do good in whatever scenario, regardless of being big or small in scale.  Likewise, we should just do the best we can in doing good whenever the opportunity or situation calls for it – whether it be small or big (Luke 16: 10).

DO THE RIGHT THING.  NO MATTER WHAT.

An integral facet established by Spider-Man co-creator, Stan Lee, for the character to make him relatable is how his alter ego, Peter Parker, is constantly struggling with personal troubles such as financial difficulties and getting bullied (especially during his earlier days).  Moreover, his personal life is even affected negatively because of prioritizing the good he does as Spider-Man – he’s always late on appointments and school, benefits and opportunities are sacrificed, and even his relationships with the important people in his life suffer.  It’s as if he can’t catch a break.  What’s even worse is, due to the works of haters like J. Jonah Jameson, any good that he does is unappreciated by the public as he’s branded as a “menace.”  But regardless of the circumstance he’s in or any consequences it might cost him personally, he makes no excuses and he will do the right thing at every opportunity. 

Facing difficulties is always part of being a Christian.   But even in the midst of whatever degree or form of difficulties, just as Spider-Man constantly brings justice to the being of his Spider-Man identity, we should likewise constantly uphold our Christian identity.  We, Christians, are to obey Christ’s commandments and pursue God’s glory in all things.  With the same consistency and selflessness that Spider-Man displays in doing the right thing, so should we likewise display in doing right in every situation.  No.  Matter.  What. 

Doing the right thing is often not easy.  There will be times we will be sacrificing a personal benefit or advantage.  And there will be times that a good deed will go unappreciated.  And there will be even times when the right thing to do is an unpopular one.  But we learn from Spider-Man that we ought to do the right thing, no matter how hard it proves to be. 

For us Christians, if it’s worth doing for God’s glory, then we need to do it.  Even at the point of death (Revelations 2:10).            

PRESS ON.  NO MATTER WHAT.   

Spider-Man displays inspiring resiliency.  Whatever antagonisms and difficulties he faces as both Spider-Man and Peter Parker, he continues to fight on.  He will do the best that he can in any situation to do the right thing and to overcome the challenges in front of him.

But he does fall sometimes.  He gets discouraged.  There are times he wishes that he never became Spider-Man.  There are times that he wants to quit – or even had quit.  Despite the spider-powers, he is human after all and subject to human failings.  However, he never permanently stays down.  He eventually rises back to his feet.  Stronger than ever.  He presses onwards.  He continues being Spider-Man.    

Resiliency – and, most importantly, faithfulness – in all circumstances is necessary for a Christian.  In discussing my life slogan, “Keep Calm and Press On”, I wrote, with regards to Philippians 3:7-14:

Despite the tremendous amount of hardships and struggles that he had undergone in his life, Paul remained enthusiastic, resolute, and kept moving forward.  Why?  For he understood the great value of this future prize that God has set for him in Heaven, and that no earthly pleasure or glory can ever come close in matching that.  So he worked hard for the glory of God – storing riches in Heaven that will last for eternity – rather than seeking earthly pleasures and glory that are all temporary anyway.  In everything, he gave it his all, no matter what.  He knew that every sacrifice, every pain, every drop of effort, is going to be worth it; the glory and happiness that he would receive as reward far outweigh the sufferings that he experienced in this world while working for God’s glory.

While Spider-Man probably only has a noble – but incomplete – sense of altruism that keeps him fighting, Christians have the advantage of having an infinitely valuable Heavenly Prize to look forward to – a Reward that will more than make up for all sacrifices done in this world.  Hence, don’t Christians have more reason to fight for?  Don’t Christians have more reason to be resilient about?  Don’t Christians have more reason to rise up after falling?  Don’t Christians have more reason to press onwards?  Don’t Christians have more reason to continue upholding their Christian identity? 

BE JOYFUL.  NO MATTER WHAT.  

With the many problems that he experiences in his life, and with his strong sense of duty of doing right no matter what, it would come to no surprise if he ended up being a burdened and grave superhero.  But, ironically, he is quite the opposite.  Spider-Man is one of the most joyful superheroes around.  Yes, there are some times that he feels that being Spider-Man is a curse, but as I’ve mentioned earlier, he eventually gets over his brooding.  Most of the time, he enjoys being Spider-Man and delights in what he does.  And that is reflected on his cheerful, goofy attitude when he goes around doing his Spider-Man duties. 

In the same way, despite the hardships, there is much to rejoice about as a Christian (1 Peter 1:8, Philippians 4:4, Luke 10:20, etc.).  I no longer need to go at length discussing how or in what ways.  Yes, we have crosses to bear (Luke 9:23), and pain and struggles will always be part of the Christian life, but there is much joy in the presence of Christ.  And it should be apparent for the world to see as we live out our Christian identity and do our Christian duties.

The Existence of the Universe is a Definitive Affirmation of the Existence of God

Looking at the awesomeness of Creation – how mindblowingly complex it is, how marvelously beautiful it is, how gloriously big it is – and, by extension, all the incredible creations and accomplishments that have come out of human imagination, creativity, intellect, resolve, and talent, I am deeply perplexed that some people can dare conclude that all of these “just happened.”  To me, with my daily encounters with reality and its wonders, it is very much apparent that there is Someone Bigger beyond all of these.  Yes, it is based on faith.  But it’s not an irrational faith.  In fact, as a Christian, is it with Spirit-driven faith that I was able to think more rationally – to sincerely seek truth.           

Pompous “enlightened people” pretend to have all the answers.  They believe they are superior because they aren’t a “superstitious bunch” that believe in a Supreme Being.  But upon meticulous scrutiny, you will see that they are hypocritical, that their presuppositions are also based on faith – and a faith working on a foundation something actually shakier than a faith in God at that!

For example, the strongest “evidences” out there for the Theory of Evolution are almost solely limited to “microevolution” – wherein an animal or plant develops an additional function in response to particular stimuli.  And that doesn’t prove Evolution at all.  An illustration of microevolution is a fish developing a camouflage in order to avoid predators; in that scenario, the fish’s nature as fish remains intact.   But a fish transforming into a bird is the kind of dramatic change that Evolution is claiming as possible – that’s “macroevolution” – and there are no empirical data to support such absurdity.  More so with Abiogenesis – wherein an inanimate object is supposed to dramatically transform into a living thing.  Macroevolution and Abiogenesis are ridiculous, proof-less claims; without these two, the Theory of Evolution falls apart.  And yet people will readily accept Evolution’s infallibility!  Most atheists I encounter that believes in Evolution or the Big Bang or any other theory that denies God creating life and the universe simply accepts these theories are true without really thoroughly understanding them (or they pretend that they do).  They embrace these as truths without any struggle, without further reflection or discernment, just because a famous scientist or philosopher said so.   In fact, if they choose to exert an effort in honestly examining these for themselves, they might discover that these presented ideas don’t really have airtight, empirical proofs.  Hence, they might not have faith in God, but the manner of how they strongly believe in the ideas of Evolution or Big Bang or Sagan or Dawkins or Darwin – without genuine comprehension of them and without finding definitive proofs to support them – is some kind of faith.    

 

Science is a great, great thing.  But it is not God.  Science should lead us to God.  And if more scientists are more honest with themselves, and not give in to peer pressure, and really apply objective thought, and get rid of prejudices and double standards, they would definitely see God in the wonders of the universe that they discover through Science.

When one truly fathomed the awesomeness of life and the universe, one won’t really be comfortable of accepting that all of these were brought about by random accidents.  The existence of life and the universe – Creation – is clearly a definite affirmation of the existence of God – the Creator (for, in fact, Creation is the physical manifestation of God’s glory).  The intrinsic beauty and complexity found in every detail of Creation are something that I can never rationally accept as things that “just happened.” 

The Law of Cause-and-Effect states that, for every effect, there should be an appropriate, reasonable cause that made it so.  And the only “appropriate, reasonable” cause there is for an “effect” of such magnitude as the universe is an infinite, intelligent God.  To think that the universe has been brought about by a “cause” lesser than that is ridiculous. 

If one denies an eternal Creator has made the universe, one has to embrace the belief of either: a.) the universe created itself; or b.) the universe originated from a finite cause – either a finite catalyst or a creator, who himself has been created by something or someone.  Both options are obviously absurd.  The first option is contradictory.  How can something create itself?  For the universe to be capable of creating itself, it should first have to be.  It would have to be before it was.  And that’s an impossibility.  Even God can’t create himself, because he wouldn’t be present to create himself in the first place.  God is – by essence and definition – infinite, un-created, and exists before time came to be.         

The second conclusion – that the universe originated from a finite creator/catalyst – is very problematic because, ultimately, it relies on the belief that an actual infinity of finite things is possible.  One would have to wrestle with the problem: if the universe is created by an A, what is the B that created A in the first place?  How was B created then?  By a C?  Then what created C?   And so on.  Ad infinitum.  And that is just plain nonsense.  If one subscribes to such thought that an infinite chain of finite causes is possible, one also has to subscribe to a belief that time has been running eternally since an infinity of finite causes would require infinite time to work on.  The problem however is that infinite yesterdays is unthinkable for it’s an impossibility to cross through eternity.  You won’t be able to go through an infinite number of yesterdays to get to today just as a negative infinity can’t “count down” towards zero.  If it has been going on forever, it can’t possibly get to today.                

So for this universe to exist, it should have been created by something eternal – something that existed before time even existed – and is infinite in essence.  It’s the only possible solution.   Furthermore, this infinite something can’t be something without awareness.  It should be something – someone – with intelligent consciousness – a supreme intelligent consciousness.    

When I was still a kid who had never even ridden in a plane yet, airplanes provoked awe in me.  I was curious of its engineering (or whatever term the concept of engineering represented in my mind then); my mind was asking things like “How something heavy was made to fly?”  I knew that the answers would be complicated and I probably had to get a bit older to understand.  However, I knew that this complex airplane couldn’t possibly have “just happened”; its complex, purposed design required a conscious, intelligent effort to be.   Now, life and the universe have much more complex engineering in it than an airplane.  It definitely couldn’t “just happened”!  Believing that is more ridiculous than believing that an airplane can be made out of an exploding junkyard.    

Even if, let’s say, experiments using the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland supposedly proved the Big Bang Theory or how matter exploded out of energy, it doesn’t necessarily is a point against Creationism and a point for Anti-Creationism theories.  What was done to simulate the supposedly beginning of the universe hasn’t been something random, undirected, or unsupervised.  There were scientists who had consciously worked, assembled, and directed the factors to bring the creation of matter about.  It didn’t really happen chaotically.  There was a conscious, intelligent effort behind it.   It’s not the same thing as what atheists believe in – that the universe just “exploded” into being without conscious guidance.   

The universe exists because an infinite and intelligent and living God created it.   It’s the only logical conclusion.  The Apostle Paul revealed in the first chapter of Romans that men have no excuse in denying the existence of God because the universe clearly manifests His being and glory.  The existence of the universe should be a sufficient – no, overwhelming – objective proof for the affirmation of God’s existence. 

But why are there atheists?  Why aren’t everyone compelled to believe in God if the universe compellingly proves his existence?  Well, it’s because humans are sinners, and our sinful and depraved nature won’t allow us to be persuaded by the overwhelming proof.   We are blinded (or prefer to be blinded).  The truth never really mattered to us.  We prefer to deny the existence of the Creator since we don’t want to acknowledge our accountability to our Creator. 

But through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, the stubbornness and pride brought by our depraved nature will be shattered.  We will be able to humbly embrace truth and instruction.  And it is only by this time that our reasoning won’t be hindered when we argue or encounter arguments for truth.  When proof of the existence of God is brought forth by the universe, we can now allow ourselves to be persuaded.  From the point where we can wholeheartedly acknowledge God’s existence, then we can proceed to the next step of wholeheartedly acknowledging His lordship over us, and decide to live – to exist – solely for declaring His glory – just as what He has always intended for His Creation to be.

To Love is "More than Words"

It has been more than three years since I last shared in front of everybody on our church's Wednesday service.  And this is my first time to share as a cell group leader (since during the past two years of leading my own cell group, as part of their training, I assigned my cell members to do the sharing whenever it's our cell group's turn to share.  Now that all the [regular] members have shared already, it's now my time to do it)...       

(RE: John 13:31-38)

One of my favorite songs is entitled “More than Words” which states that merely saying “I love you” is not at all an absolute confirmation of the authenticity of one’s love.  There is also the saying, “Love is a verb.”  It means that love is something that requires actions. 

In our passage, Jesus commands us to love each other.  And according to verse 34, the love that we show has to be the same kind of love that Jesus has shown us.  And Jesus’ kind of love is packed with substantial self-denying actions.  This is the kind of love that made him willingly humble himself to wash the feet of his disciples.  And this is the kind of love that made him willingly lay his life on the cross for us. 

Therefore – just like what the song “More than Words” stated – there is more to loving our brethren than just saying to them “I love you in the Lord” whenever we congregate.  We should show it through Christ-like action, also.  There should be willingness to serve, to be deferent, and to sacrifice with glad hearts.  We should be ready to give up our privilege, resources, or convenience to show the love of Jesus Christ.  And this love even extends to the point we should be ready to lay our lives for each other.  Just like Jesus.     

Now, carrying out this command to love each other in such a way that Jesus showed is incredibly difficult, if not virtually impossible – especially if the mandated recipient of our love is “unlovable.”  That’s why to carry out Christ-like deeds, we definitely need Christ-like motivations.  Where did Jesus draw his strength to love the unlovable?  The glory of God (verse 31 and 32)!   Jesus knew that the glory of God is supremely worth every sacrifice and every labor.  Jesus loves his Father and His glory, and Jesus loves glorifying His Father.    

In the same way, the only we can truly carry out Christ’s command to love – or any of His commands for that matter – is if we also supremely love and value Jesus Christ.  That He is a Superior Treasure that is worth giving up everything in this world.  And, thus, for Jesus’ sake, we will love others as He loved us – willing to deny any personal benefits, comforts, and advantages for others.  Jesus is infinitely worth it.  And through our loving actions, others can also see and experience this truth.        

So, basically, the key for us to be able to love our neighbors as ourselves is to first love God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength and with all our mind.  Before we can sincerely tell others, “I love you in the Lord”, we should be able to sincerely say, “I love you, Lord.”  Furthermore, we can also logically conclude that the extent of how we carry out the commandment of loving others is directly proportional to the state of our love-relationship with God.  Our love for God is reflected on how we demonstrate our love for others. 

But, personally, when I evaluate myself of the times I say “I love you, Lord” or “I love you in the Lord” – of how substantial or shallow my words really are – I feel like Peter who declared, “I will lay down my life for you” (verse 37) but when action was required of him succumbed to denying Jesus three times.  My hypocrisy distresses and appalls me. 

But I’m comforted of the fact that Jesus grants repentance and restoration.  Through the work of the Holy Spirit, Peter was transformed into a resolute, courageous apostle of Christ – used by God to considerably spread the Gospel after Jesus’ ascension.  And when the time came that it was required for Peter to lay down his life, he truly did, as legend tells us that Peter was crucified upside down (by his refusal to be crucified the same way as his Savior, since he felt unworthy to be so) for his faith.  There is truly redemption in Jesus Christ, and for that, I’m eternally thankful.       

As application, I ask forgiveness for my hypocrisy, idolatry, selfishness, and lack of love.  And I thank God for his promises of granting anything I ask that will ensure my joy in His glory.  Thus, I ask the Holy Spirit to truly renew my nature so that I can totally love and value God above everything else, and, as a result, I can also be able to have genuine, Christ-like love for others.       

Thank you and to God be the glory.