Equality Of Sin

This question is raised by those who want to believe pseudo-saints sins are just as bad as rapists, murderers, or thieves. They may have a pride problem and self-righteous attitude and God hates pride, but the point is that there is a gradation of sin, though one can drown in 6 feet of water as well as 60 feet. Remember the words of our Lord who told Pilate that the one who delivered him over had the "greater sin." Are all sins equal in severity in God's eyes? Do all sins deserve the same punishment? Obviously, if there is justice in the afterlife, Hitler will get a severer sentence than your typical run-of-the-mill sinner. It was said of Judas that it would've been better had he never been born--and so there you are. Jesus did say that some sins deserve fewer whips than others. God is a God of justice as well as mercy and there will be no cruelty in hell, only what justice demands.

If all sins were equal, that would encourage the slanderer to go all the way from character assassination to murder, since they are the same. Jesus did say that lusting was committing adultery, but he didn't say they were the same. Rome has divided sin into mortal and venial. Those which destroy the grace of salvation are more serious and require penance and are called mortal. All sins are mortal in the sense that they deserve eternal hell, but no sin is mortal in the sense that it cancels the state of grace. All sins are venial to the Christian, in that he only needs to confess them and repent to regain fellowship, not a state of grace or salvation.

The closer you get to God the more you see your shortcomings and sins; you don't begin to see yourself as perfect or having "arrived." There are certain sins that are an abomination to the Lord: homosexuality, bestiality, incest, to name a few. Remember, how Lot said to the men in Sodom not to "do such a disgusting sin." We live in an age of sexual predators and perverts and this is becoming more rampant every day, but we must not go along with a society that we are just progressing in leniency and toleration; it is alright to be shocked and abhorred at our society. We are often shocked at others' sins when we should be shocked at ours.   NB: The Pharisees considered all commandments of equal weight, but Jesus changed that and called some more serious (cf. Matt. 23:23).  Soli Deo Gloria!

Should We Be Ashamed Of Depression?

We all have to learn individually how to cope with our "demons." After we have indulged ourselves in a pity-party (being in a funk, in the pits, or having the doldrums) we should rebound to fellowship (or as a friend told me to "snap out of it"), and the filling of the Holy Spirit. Let's not wallow in self-pity, but seek a divine viewpoint--things are not all that bad as we make them out to be. Depression usually happens to people who have a sensitive side and are in touch with their feelings (but this is a luxury not all enjoy); those too busy with the rat-race don't have time to get depressed nor elated, for that matter. "Sorrow is better than laughter because a sad face is good for the heart" (Eccl 7:3). [Remember Christ was "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief."]

Here is a case in point: Psalm 40:2 says the psalmist was lifted out of the "slimy pit," out of the "mud and mire": he strengthened himself in the Lord his God (1 Sam 30:6b). N.B. he didn't necessarily know why he was depressed ("Why am I downcast O my soul?" (Ps 42:11). "He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings" (Ps 40:2). As we quoted Psalm 42: "Why are you cast down O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?" Evidently, he had bouts with being of broken and contrite spirit or of depression, which some call sloth. According to Rome, this is one of the seven deadly sins.  Depression is more common than most admit: Note Neil Diamond's song "Song Sung Blue" which says, "Me and you, are subject to, the blues now and then/Song sung blue, everybody knows one, every garden grows one."

God puts trials in our way to make us learn dependence on Him. If we think we are a rock that feels no pain or an island that doesn't cry like the Simon and Garfunkel song "I Am A Rock" we will suffer more because we are in this thing together and all the parts of the body must work in coordination and in sync. It takes a real man and a big person to admit his weaknesses and vulnerabilities to others. True fellowship often takes place when we "come clean" (share our vulnerabilities) and are totally honest as to our feelings--sometimes the best of us needs "therapy." I like Job 23:10: They are merely trials we must overcome. "The Lord knows the way that I take; when he has tried me I shall come forth as gold."

  By common definition, depression is anger turned inward; however, depression often results from fallacious or erroneous thinking, and we must substitute a more helpful and healthy thought. Job was so depressed he wanted to die. Likewise, Elijah wanted to die and so did Jonah. God gave Elijah something to eat and he was good to go, as they say.   Jonah was angry and wanted to die. Many suicides can be prevented if we knew the warning signs of depression and suicidal ideation.

Note that depression usually is the result of the dwelling of living in the past, misinterpreting the present, or anticipating the future.   Some say, "Impression without expression = depression!"  How do we overcome? 2 Cor. 1:4 says: "[Who] comforts us in our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted."

Find someone who's been there and done that!   Abe Lincoln rightly said that the Bible is the best cure for the blues--he was known for getting depressed. People who get depressed often also get elated or have periods of euphoria (bipolar affected personalities), and tend to be more in touch with their feelings--that is good! Sometimes, to get out of depression, all we need is to talk with a friend ("I get by with a little help from my friends")--this is talk therapy. Sometimes we just have to wait it out: "This too shall pass!" "Wait, I say, on the Lord" (cf. Psa. 27:14).

A good rule of thumb is to be too busy to get depressed, which is a luxury that not all possess. It is not depression per se that is sin, (the coping skills need to be healthful habits of hygiene),  but what we end up doing that can be problematic: oversleeping, overeating, shopping sprees, social withdrawal, etc. We need to find therapeutic things to do (hygienic psychology) when depressed like going for a walk, and talking to God about what concerns us: "Casting all your care upon the Lord..." (1 Pet 5:7). "Cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved" (Psa 55:22).  The ultimate is sometimes prayer therapy or even talk therapy (not cash therapy, food therapy, or sleep therapy!).   "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God..." (Phil. 4:6).   Soli Deo Gloria!

Is Gambling Sin?

To be sure, there are no impersonal forces at work in God's universe such as fate, luck, chance or fortune. Fate is impersonal; God is personal. Luck is dumb; God is omniscient. Fortune is blind; God sees all. Prov. 16:33 is quoted: "The lot is cast unto the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD." Yes, God rules over all and doesn't leave anything to chance (which doesn't exist as a force, but only as a mathematical possibility); so worshiping at the idol of chance is insulting to our Maker's providence and sovereignty. In essence, we are testing God and our desire to get rich is clearly condemned.

I don't want to deflate someone's balloon, or a good thing going, but gambling can be a serious sin. Gambling per se is not sinning--that is, it is not specifically prohibited by Scripture--but, like smoking is a bad habit or way of life to succumb to and Paul certainly didn't want any undisciplined lifestyle (cf. 1 Cor 6:12: "...but I will not be mastered by anything"). What may be a sin for me, with greater light, may not be for someone else ("anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins"). Today we have people whose retirement plan is to win the lottery! Many poor people who can't afford to gamble are using good money to gamble and hoping to strike it rich. Some idle rich who have nothing better to do gamble for the fun of it not realizing that God will make them give an account someday. I realize that modern society is based on greed and gambling in the market, but you cannot equate the evil of a casino to the capitalistic system that is necessary.

There is a necessary risk, and then there's uncalled for risk that is unwise. There might be a little wiggle room for "penny machines" for amusement and blowing hard-earned cash--well, as they say easy come easy go. Many simply do not respect the value of a dollar! We are merely stewards of what God has entrusted us with and we don't own anything ("For the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof," says Ps. 24:1).

The big question to ask is whether Jesus would gamble. What would Jesus do? Making honest money is not evil: Wesley said to make as much as you can, save as much as you can, and give away as much as you can. It is in serving money (not using money) and loving it as an idol--anything that takes the place of God--that is evil. There are extenuating circumstances, of course, and you can't absolutely build an anti-gambling case from the Bible (you have to deduct or infer it). Obviously, playing penny poker or penny machines is trivial and a diversion for some.

But the most important aspect is being a responsible steward with our blessings. It all belongs to God and He lets us use it. I do not condemn Indians for owning casinos, because there are those that know what they are doing, and you don't throw away the baby with the bathwater. I also wonder about the dependence of governments on gambling revenue, whether it is moral.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Seeking the Will of God

All genuine believers want to be in the will of God--this is Job One!   Sometimes the only time they think of it is when they have to make an important decision like marriage or a job; this is unfortunate. God can put a hedge around us if we are in the will of God and the devil cannot touch us; we can live in victory over our enemy. The safest place to be is in the will of God. Does God still speak to us about His intentions today? God is not bound by any certain MO or 1-2-3 formula like circumstances (which Gideon used with a fleece; (c.f. Judges 6); but most commonly speaks through His Word, as He was wont to do in biblical times. Greg Laurie calls the Bible God's "User's Manual." We can get an existential experience ("Aha!") or epiphany in the Word if we take every situation to the Bible with an expectation of God's illumination.

 If we do find God's will we will have peace of understanding as it says in Col. 3:15 (there is always peace of mind in God's will). [To define terms, God's will is the good and pleasing and perfect will of God, as Romans 12:1-2 describe. I am not referring to God's secret or decreed will that is none of our business, such things as necromancy, tarot cards, or crystal balls (Deut. 29:29).] Before you seek God's will, decide if you really want to know it; you may be fooling yourself into thinking you're willing to do it.

The Christian journey is by faith ("For we walk by faith and not by sight"), so we just need to "just walk" as Laurie says. Knowing God's will is a state of mind and not a rolled-out "itinerary" There is no easy MO, but it is revealed one step at a time, one decision at a time.   As we are obedient to the things God does reveal to us He gives us more guidance. God does have a master plan for our life and "the just shall live by faith" (Jeremiah 29:11: "I know the plans that I have for you...")   God has promised to make His ways plain in Isa. 35:8, and Isa. 30:21: "Whenever you turn to the right or to the left, you shall hear a voice behind you saying: 'This is the way, walk ye in it.'" Psalm 25:4 says God will reveal His way to us ("The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him").

But one caveat: Laurie says the condition of an enlightened mind is a surrendered heart. Some people want to know God's will so they can decide if they want to follow it or not. We must surrender to God's will first, then He will reveal it to us.   Eph. 5:17 says: "Do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is." Acts 22:14 says that it has been granted unto us to know His will. When we get in sync with the Bible we can echo Hebrews 10:7 which says, "Behold, it is written of Me in the volume of the Book: to do Thy will." God's will is not just common sense, but sometimes we are to go against the grain and march to the beat of a different drummer. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 says not to lean unto our own understanding--"there is a way that seems right to a man."  I'm not saying we should be mystical or "spooky," but the more we grow in grace, the clearer God's will becomes to us. If we make a mistake God can "turn curses into blessings."   You will have peace of mind as you walk by faith, so "start walking." This  begins with our relinquishment or surrender to God's sovereignty over our lives. 

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way" cf. Psa. 37:23).  The Lord is our shepherd and "for His name's sake" "He leads us in the paths of righteousness" (Psalm. 23). We are to pray "Thy will be done" in our prayers. King David was anointed because he was willing to do all of God's will.  The Word of God is the "litmus test;" [cf. Isa. 8:20] so if it doesn't line up squarely with the Word, it is wrong for you.  To sum up, I don't know the future, but I know who holds the future.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Are You With The Program?

God doesn't want any spiritual Lone Rangers, we are in this together as the body of Christ. Some believers march to a tune of a different drummer from that of the church. They don't take part in any of the activities, especially Bible study, and shun contact or fellowship because they don't want to be held accountable. To be with the program of the church is vital and if you can't honestly agree with it you'd be better off in another church where you can consent. The book of Judges is about Israel doing their own thing and it says each man did what was right in his own eyes. They are doing their own thing! "All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned each to his own way" (cf. Isa. 53:6).

The pastor of the church is the under-shepherd and will give account for you at the judgment. Heb. 13 and verse 17 says to "obey your leaders and submit to their authority." We are not lone wolves in the church that can survive on our own; we need fellowship, accountability, and support from other believers. Going to church regularly is like getting a spiritual checkup.

I am writing this from experience because I refused to do a Bible study that our pastor wanted everyone to do because I disagreed with some Pentecostal elements. Some Christians are really members of the "nod to God crowd" that just shows up on Sunday and doesn't have any intercourse during the week with the body of believers. If you don't like Christ's body you don't like Christ!   Soli Deo Gloria!

Pre-salvation Mindset

Before we get saved we must first realize we are lost and depraved or heinous in God's eyes. We aren't good enough to be saved, but bad enough to need salvation. Our frame of reference should be the totality of our depraved or sinful nature in God's estimation (not man's estimation of man that is) of man. There is a consensus that to err is human and that nobody's perfect as we all acknowledge, but the question is whether man is basically (intrinsically, inherently) good or evil and the word to note is "basically." Many will assert and affirm the basic goodness of man, and there was a man that was held captive by Saddam Hussein and said he never lost confidence in the basic goodness of man. Where have they been living, the North Pole?

Sin is universal because of "original sin" that is inherited by being in solidarity with Adam as the head of our race. Some claim they are a "victim of circumstances" or that the environment or genes are to blame. I realize that a run-of-the-mill sinner looks like a saint compared to Hitler, but the model is Christ if you want to compare to a standard. If man were basically good you'd expect a certain percentage to be good, but the Bible says there are "none good, no not one." "In sin did my mother conceive me," said King David in Psalm 51:4. Sin is natural and that is why you don't have to teach a child to lie. As theologians say, "We are not sinners because we sin, rather we sin because we are sinners." It is the humanistic agenda that wants to elevate the goodness of man at the expense of belittling God.

The domain of sin is complete: it covers the intellect, affections, and volition. If sin were yellow, we'd be all yellow. You cannot likewise be a little pregnant as it were in an analogy. We are sinful through and through. The doctrine of the total depravity of man is often called the radical corruption of man because we are sinful and evil to the core. "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9). The crux of the problem is that sin is not peripheral or tangential but total and there is no island of righteousness or innate goodness mixed in.
How bad are we? We are not as bad as we can be (Hitler loved his mother as a redeeming quality you might say) but we are as bad "off" as we can be. This is God's estimation of man, not man's estimation of man.

You might add that we did not cease to be human at the fall but ceased to be good. The ironic thing is that you don't know how bad you are till you've tried to be good, and you can't be good till you realize how bad you are; kind of like a "catch-22." It doesn't matter if you drown in 10 feet or 100 feet of water the result is the same, and likewise, there is no sliding scale or grading on the curve to see who gets into heaven. One sin is enough to condemn because Jesus said that if you break one command it is like breaking them all.

We cannot escape our birthright: original sin and solidarity in Adam. We are all degenerates, as it were and Jesus sees through the veneer that we make and even sees through the dark side that we show to no one. We all have feet of clay and that means areas of weakness that aren't readily apparent. "Can a leopard change its stripes, or an Ethiopian his skin? Then he cannot do good who is accustomed to evil" (Jer.. 13:23). "All our righteousness is as filthy rags," according to Isa. 64:6. "Those who are in the flesh cannot please God," says Rom. 8:8. You must realize that your biggest enemy is you and that you are your biggest problem!

 Finally, you are not what you think you are, but what you think, you are! (Cf. Prov. 23:7 says, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he."   Soli Deo Gloria!

The Verdict: Guilty As Sin.

This doctrine is referred to as the doctrine of "total depravity" by Calvinists and is the first point in the acrostic known as TULIP.

In Latin you say mea culpa or I am to blame: put away the pointing of the finger and the blame game!   We cannot just blame Adam for our sins because, though we are culpable with Adam who stands as the head of our race, we all individually verified and confirm our status in the divine verdict and sinned, because we are born sinners. Psalm 51:4 says, "In sin did my mother conceive me." The theological maxim says: "We are not sinners because we sin, rather we sin because we are sinners." Billy Graham says, "we cannot escape our birthright." Original sin is the name given to the result of the first sin, not to the first sin per se. It is not environmental or societal that we sin but intrinsic to our very nature.  "We didn't cease to be human we ceased to be good," says R. C. Sproul.

 It is commonplace to assume that man is basically good (as humanists believe) but man is basically evil. And this nature permeates his makeup through and through. It is like being pregnant; you cannot be only a little pregnant. If man were basically good, why is sin so prevalent and so universal; wouldn't we see some sinless personages? If it's environmental, how did it get that way? The rub is that we are basically, intrinsically, inherently evil and no part of us escapes the corruption of sin and doesn't have a fallen nature. Our complete soul: intellect, affections, and volition. They say, "nobody's perfect" and "to err is human;" and this is a right diagnosis.

Sin is not peripheral or tangential to our nature but we are totally flawed (note that we are totally depraved, meaning every aspect of us is flawed, but not utterly depraved, meaning as bad as we can be)  by a sin nature, through and through.  We are not as bad as we can be, but as bad off as can be.  There is no sliding scale or grading on the curve even though the run-of-the-mill sinner looks like a saint compared to the likes of Nero or Hitler who are seen as paradigms of evil. Even though some never lose faith in the basic goodness of man, it is not man's estimation of man, but God's estimation of man that counts. We are radically corrupt and totally corrupt, but not utterly corrupt; we are as bad off as we can be but not as bad as we can be. We are degenerated and are degrading to the imago Dei that we have as icons of God. When we expose the dark side (like the moon--and everyone has a dark side) we see that God's diagnosis is correct and we are all found wanting on God's scale of justice.

There is a "catch-22": we don't know how bad we are till we have tried to be good, and we must try to be good to know how bad we are. We all have "feet of clay," says Chuck Swindoll (weak spots as well as our forte, or strong suit). We have gone from creation to corruption, from perfection to rejection. We cannot clean up our acts because Jesus sees through the veneer. Sin permeates the core of our soul and as Jeremiah says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." We cannot do anything apart from Christ's power (John 15:5).

Those who are in flesh cannot please God (Rom. 8:8). "All our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isa. 64:6). We must be wooed by the Holy Spirit, we don't come to Christ all on our own--the Spirit draws us!  "No man can come to Me unless the Father grants it..." (John 6:44). "You were dead in trespasses and sin..." (Eph. 2:1). What can a dead man do to please God?  Soli Deo Gloria!

Whatever Became Of Sin?

The man of few words President Calvin Coolidge was asked by his wife what the preacher preached about: "Sin" Then she asked him what he said: "I think he was against it." I'm not out to get anybody nor do I want a soapbox and I don't have an ax to grind; I simply think sin is not mentioned enough in the church today.

I heard that a renowned preacher doesn't preach on the "divisive" issue of "sin" allegedly because it is such a "killjoy" term. Today we hardly ever hear a preacher denounce sin or preach repentance. Sin doesn't exist in their jargon. Sin is a "taboo" word to some preachers who only want to preach what their church wants to hear. Eminent psychiatrist Dr. Karl Menninger, M.D. wrote a book called Whatever Became of Sin? as it is ignored in the therapy and since it is the root of all problems, it should be encountered. Famous philosopher Albert Camus wrote, "The absurd is sin without God." That means that if there is no God, there is no sin!

Actually, we are all sinners since sin is universal (we say "to err is human" and "nobody's perfect." Original sin is the result of that first sin in the so-called "perfect environment" of the garden of Eden. We must all see ourselves as sinners, even the worst of sinners to be saved: John Bunyan wrote, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners and Paul said that "Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." Even Isaiah said, "Woe is me, I am undone...."

Samuel Rutherford said, "The greater sense of sin the less sin." The more sanctified we become the more aware of our shortcomings we become. It is the job of the preacher to take a stand and denounce sin and to intercede corporately for the church. To become Christians we must "renounce" sin and repent of all known sin. We cannot escape our birthright, says Billy Graham, and have a sin nature and even though we are saints, says Martin Luther, we are at the same time sinners (cf. Gal. 12:17).  Sin is the disease and the cause of all problems.

Sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4); transgression of the Law; iniquity or deviating from right; trespassing or egoism (putting self first); unbelief (Rom. 14:23--"Whatever is not of faith is sin.") All unrighteousness and wrongdoing is sin (1 John 5:17; Gal. 6:1). Any thought, word, deed, act, omission or desire contrary to the Law of God is a sin. Any want of conformity to or transgression of the moral law is a sin. Sins cannot be labeled "mortal and venial" like Romanists insist, because all sins are mortal in the sense that they separate us from God and no sin is mortal in that it can cut off your salvation. According to Psalm 19:12 there is "unknown sin:" We are responsible for what we know but that doesn't mean we aren't sinning unbeknownst to us. It is only because we have a mind and a will that we are capable of sin; animals cannot be sinners or immoral.

A ""run-of-the-mill sinner looks like a saint compared to Adolf Hitler but can still go to hell--it doesn't matter how deep the water is that we drown in. There are sins of omission like failing to love our brethren; this is falling short of the glory of God or missing the mark and failing to achieve the aim of hitting the diving target. Sins of commission are when God forbids something like lust and we go ahead and do it, willingly or unwillingly, presumptuously or ignorantly.

All sin is against God (David prays, "Against you and you only have I sinned," in Psalm 51:4). Sin can be against our neighbor also according to 1 Kings 8:46. When we sin against God we violate His holiness, when we sin against our fellow man we violate their humanity. When we sin we are not demonstrating our freedom but proving our slavery if we do something unprofitable--"All things are permissible, but not all things are profitable, all things are permissible but I will not be brought under the power of any." (Cf. 1 Cor. 6:12; 10:23). Not all sins are as heinous, or egregious but some are actually an abomination to the Lord and detestable in His sight. Just calling sin "weakness, faults, mistakes, quirks, peccadilloes, etc. is like labeling poison "Essence of Peppermint" and making it more dangerous.

James 4:17 says, "If you don't do what you know is right you have sinned." The only cure from antinomianism or legalism is a knowledge of the Scriptures: "For by the Law is the knowledge of sin (Indeed it is the straightedge of the Law that shows us how crooked we really are.)" We are all culpable before God and to ourselves and to our fellow man and God doesn't punish us for one another's sins (Ezek. 18:4 says, "The soul that sins shall die.") We can be glad that God doesn't deal with us according to our sins or punish us according to our iniquities (Psalm 103:10).

Finally, no matter how we have sinned God is greater and bigger than our failures: "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow, though they be red as crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isa. 1:18).   NB:  Karl Menninger defined sin as the refusal of the love of others [and God].  Soli Deo Gloria!

Christian Faith Or Religion?

R. C. Sproul says that Christianity is not a religion but a faith because of the body of knowledge affirmed by its adherents and the virtue of faith exercised by the same in its understanding of redemption. A good definition of faith is cited as follows: Not belief without truth, but trust without reservation. It is said that true faith is not believing despite the evidence, but obeying in spite of the consequences.  The biblical definition, of course, is Heb. 11:11 as follows: "The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen." You don't have to have all the answers to believe, even a child can accept Christ!

Sproul decries the so-called "blind faith" terminology that some say Christians have. Not knowing why you believe or don't believe is blind faith too.   Actually, salvation is a step into the light, not a leap into the dark. "Faith is the antidote to blindness, not the cause of it" (Sproul). He goes on to say that using that term is an "outrage to God and demeaning to Christians." We don't have faith in faith per se, that is fideism, it's the object of Christ that saves.

I shall begin by affirming what faith is not: It is not head belief (the belief must move 18 inches from the head to the heart), storybook faith or mere assent or acquiescence; it is not lip service; true saving faith is given, not achieved (it is not human accomplishment, but divine achievement); it is not easy- believism or faith without commitment; It is not simplistic, though it is simple enough for a child; it is not childish, though it is childlike; it is not gullibility, superstition (believing something for no reason), or being credulous; it is not believing something you know isn't true (we have sound reasons to believe and God doesn't expect us to believe despite the evidence; it is not solely sincerity, though this is required; it is not faith for its own sake or faith in faith. Expressions like "Keep the faith" are useless if not in the correct object or person. 
  
Faith has many definitions: it is the opposite of sin; it is a choice and an action word that has legs; it is obedience (Bonhoeffer said, "Only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes."); Faith is one way of looking at repentance; there is not saving faith without genuine repentance (the flip side of the coin, as it were, cf. Acts 20:31); other names for faith are reliance, confidence, trust; we "walk by faith, not by sight."

  We don't need all the answers to believe (and believing doesn't mean you know all the answers-you know the Answerer), just a preponderance of the evidence. There is a surfeit of knowledge available as historical and logical evidence that the honest enquirer can search out. We don't believe despite the evidence; the historical proofs of eyewitnesses and circumstantial evidence is compelling and would be admissible in a court of law.

Faith is something only humans are capable of since we have the Imago Dei or image of God. We have the intelligence to know God, the emotions to love God, and the volition to obey God; We have this equipment; animals don't and cannot have a relationship with God as we can. They are oblivious to His presence.

Philosophers refer to a "properly basic belief" in that you can experience the love of Christ; as Psalm 34:8, NKJV, says: "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good...." The proof of the pudding is in the eating!

 Billy Graham cites a classic example of faith: A daredevil walked across the Niagara River on a tightrope, then with a wheelbarrow. He asked the on-lookers if they believed he could walk a man in the wheelbarrow across; they said, "Affirmative!" But when he asked for volunteers no one stepped forward (no one had real faith). To put it succinctly, faith is born when we give up (deny ourselves), surrender (to his lordship and will) and commit (to take up our cross to follow him). Many want to be leaders, but we need to be followers first.

Finally, there is a difference between believing in God (even the demons do this) and believing God.  We long for more than a knowledge about God, but a knowledge of Him--to know Him, not just know He's there.  We must believe in the God who is there, and believe in Him as He is.   The latter takes a relationship to fulfill.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Prosperity Theology Or Karma?

This is an age-old complaint: Asaph is appalled at the prosperity of the wicked in Psalm 73. Surely the reward of the wicked is in this life ("...whose reward is in this life...").  The Bible says that the rich and the poor have this in common: The Lord is the maker of them all. To be sure, prosperity is not the sign of God's favor or the litmus test for specific personal blessing--they may just be following the "law of the jungle" and the "survival of the fittest" rule better than the pack.

Some modern-day preachers insist that, if you aren't prospering or aren't in excellent health and successful, that you are out of the will of God or are lacking in faith--like you haven't turned in your spiritual lottery ticket yet. God does indeed bless some of the faithful in all ways even making them rich, and God does indeed bless all believers in some ways--but it is to the discretion of the triune God who gets what blessing.

We live in the "what's-in-it-for- me" gospel or "name-it-and-claim-it preaching where they ask what can God do for them, rather than what we do for Him. This is a spin on Jack Kennedy's speech ("Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country!). Have we forgotten duty to our Creator? They are jumping to conclusions by insisting that God wants all believers to be prosperous (now by whose standard anyway?) and even healthy (we all will die, for instance-it's not cancer that's terminal, it's life (caveat emptor)! Buyer beware!

Watch out for the "prosperity gospel" or even "social gospel", which are misnomers and portray a counterfeit message. If you can't preach this gospel to the starving everywhere it is not the true gospel. They want you to believe that all you need is the right formula, right blessed water, prayer, or faith seed. This is bogus! God promises to meet our legitimate needs and not necessarily our wants. And the reason He meets our needs is so we can do good works (2 Cor. 9:8). Jesus said you will know them by their love (John 13:35), not their prosperity!

Don't store up treasures on earth! Don't rejoice in your 401(k)but in the Lord! I have been told that I'm rich because I don't have any debts and I live in the relative security of income (regardless of how low it is), it meets my needs and gives me enough to give away to God's causes. Being rich (look at the average world income) is only relative and a matter of definition. We are to be spiritually rich--woe to him who is fiscally rich but not spiritually rich.

Now to my thesis: teaching prosperity theology is like teaching karma because you treat God like a soda dispenser or coke machine trying to get what you want out of Him. Press the right buttons, etc. You get the impression that you deserve to be rich because you have sown the seed of faith. Actually, it says in Deut. 8:17-18 that God is the one who makes one prosper and in Isa. 48:17 it says that God leads you in the right ways to riches ("For your own good I teach you and lead you along the right path"). But God also prospers the wicked who play by the rules of God's economy. It also rains on the wicked.

The believers that I know that are prosperous are that way because of good work ethic and wise investments, not because they tithed their way to riches. God is no man's debtor though You cannot out-give God, this is not a ticket to riches (1 Tim. 6:5 says disparagingly that those "...who think that godliness is a means to financial gain" are in error. Karma teaches that you deserve what you get(even from a previous life) and that is contrary to grace and God's blessings. No matter how rich or poor we are, we owe our blessings to God.   Soli Deo Gloria!