The Protestant Work Ethic

Jesus said, "I have ... [completed] the work you gave me to do ..." (Cf. John 17:4).
"For the people had a mind to work" (cf. Nehemiah 4:6, ESV, NKJV).  
"The Lord assigns each man's work" (cf. John 3:27, NLT).
"...[R]ejoice in his labor--this is the gift of God"  (Eccl. 5:19, NKJV).
"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might" (Eccl. 9:10, NKJV).
"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God's glory" (1 Cor. 10:31, HCSB).

I once accepted a job as a file clerk for the VA.  Filing was always my bugaboo, so this was a challenge!  My pet peeve around the office was when I was assigned the task of filing.  How God has changed my work ethic to realize you can do anything or any task to the glory of God.  Of course, there is extrinsic motivation like more pay and there are intrinsic motivations like feeling called to do a work for God and His plan and purposes.  Like Nehemiah felt "inspired" to say, "I am doing great work and I can not come down..." (off the wall of Jerusalem which he led to rebuilding in a record 52 days).  Zechariah was also an expert on intrinsic motivation, "not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord Almighty."  You are only inspired as lofty as your insight is.  You probably heard of the three stonecutters at the quarry asked about what they were doing:  The first one said he was cutting stones, the second was merely earning so and so pounds an hour, and the third said he was building a cathedral.  Obviously, the last one had his eyes on the Lord and was considered for promotion and the good role model.  Paul urges us to do our work "heartily as unto the Lord."

The Protestant work ethic has a long history.  St. Francis of Assisi was asked, "If you had only ten minutes left to live, what would you do?"  He was the gardener at the monastery and said that he would "finish this row."  Work is part of our makeup and is an expression of our image and likeness of God.  We show God's nature in our daily tasks and occupations.  We feel compelled to accomplish something and feel pride in what we do.  During the time of Paul's writing, there were 60 million slaves in the world and work was considered a curse and only slaves should do it.  However, Martin Luther brought honor and dignity to work (even mundane tasks) by saying that all work can be done to the glory of God.  Paul stated that anything can be done to the glory of God (cf. Col. 3:17, 23).    During the formative years of Jamestown in 1607, Captain John Smith quoted Paul in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says that if you will not work, neither shall you eat.  You've heard of the "idle rich," but those who wear themselves out to get rich are just as wrong.  Theodore Roosevelt said, "There has never been a man who led a life of ease whose name is worth remembering." Everyone needs a purpose in life higher than himself.  Carl F. H. Henry said we are creatures made for work and not for idleness.  And we can be assured of work in heaven, even Adam was assigned the task of horticulture in the Garden of Eden.  This is because we are hard-wired for work and express the image of God doing it.

God does not call us to success but to faithfulness, according to Mother (Saint) Teresa.  Jer. 45:5, ESV, says:  "And do you seek great things for yourself?  Seek them not...."  The Bible condemns "selfish ambition" in Gal. 5:20.  Everyone has a niche and a calling from God whether homemaker or President and we are judged only by our faithfulness in our calling, not its success.  It is not what we accomplish as much as what we are.  Only deeds done to the glory of God in the Spirit are to be rewarded.  God isn't against good deeds but only those done in the flesh apart from God's guidance and will.

Whatever our hands find to do we should do with "all [our] might" (cf. Eccl. 9:10).  We should be "redeeming the time because the days are evil" or "making the best use of our time" (cf. Eph. 5:16).  We are a people created to be "zealous of good works" (cf. Titus 2:14).  But Paul says it is wrong to have zeal without knowledge in Rom. 10:2.   Note Col. 1:19, NKJV, says "...being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" (note the correlation!)  We are saved "unto good works" (cf. Eph. 2:10).  We are not saved by them but so we can do them.   I hope you too can find a "labor of love" to complete God's will for you and your mission and calling (cf. Acts 20:27).  Note that Haggai, another motivational prophet to rebuild the temple,  said "... and work for I am with you" (cf. Haggai 2:4).

An anecdote is told of the work ethic being put into practice by St. Theresa commencing to build a convent.  Upon being asked of her resources, she had and telling them she only had the sum of twelve pence; they said not even St. Theresa can accomplish much with a mere twelve pence;  her comeback was that "St. Theresa and God and do anything!"  Just like Nehemiah finished the wall in 52 days and the people gave the glory to God, we can bring praise to God and glorify Him by doing it His way, with His means, and giving Him the credit and glory!   It is noteworthy that Jesus is the highest standard of work ethic, but also the highest incentive!  It has been said that to work is to worship!  We can realize our full potential in serving God with our work, for "to work is to pray," according to Saint Augustine, bishop of Hippo.  NB: We can move mountains and glorify God only when we trust Him and are willing to do it His way and give Him the glory!   Soli Deo Gloria!

Consciousness (Cognizance) Of Guilt

".. For I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Matt. 9:13, HCSB). 
"Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!" (Luke 5:8, NASB).
"... God, turn Your wrath from me--a sinner! (Luke 18:13, HCSB).  

That (the title) is a legal term, or lawyers' parlance, for behavior such as some suspect hiding info, engaging in a cover-up, lying, etc., and is an explanation and description of their dubious demeanor.  It is evidence and can contribute to the conviction of the crime in question.  Likewise, in our faith, we don't come to repentance without cognizance of guilt! Before the good news of salvation, we must hear the bad news of sin--that we personally are guilty, not just mankind.   People are claiming they have faith without ever coming to an awareness of their own sin and how they fall short of God's ideal and standard, realizing they are lost ("I was lost but now am found!").  Repentance and conviction go together--you must not only fall short of your own standards but realize you fall short and miss the mark with God.  How can you claim to be found without realizing you were lost!  Jesus came to seek and to save the lost and the sinner--we must be cognizant of this.  We must realize the verdict:  guilty as sin (and that isn't even a strong enough word for it)!

To maintain we are righteous and need no repentance is an insult to God, for our righteousness is as filthy rags (cf. Isa. 64:6). If we are righteous in man's eyes, it is a gift of God.  Our righteousness is God's gift to us, not our gift to God (cf. Isa. 45:24).  We don't ever have the freedom to sin or to live on in sin, but must come to a change of behavior and attitude toward our sin.  Repentance is that:  changing one's mind!  Repentance involves a matter of the volition, the emotions, and the intellect--all parts of us are affected by grace, for it's all a matter of the gift of God has penetrated our hearts and changed our minds toward our sin--He changed us from the inside out!

The only qualification for salvation is to realize one's lack of credentials!  Salvation is to the lowest bidders!  We must acknowledge our unworthiness and humble ourselves.  If we insist on our righteousness we will never be declared righteous!  Note that God doesn't make us righteous, but just declares or considers us righteous due to vicarious justification, redemption, reconciliation, and redemption.  God accepts vicarious obedience and Christ obeyed the requirements of the law of Moses perfectly on our behalf.  The yoke of the Law had become overbearing and Jesus came to bring an easy yoke of following God's will: for instance, the Pharisees had added thirty-nine forbidden activities considered as work for the Sabbath which made it a burden and not a celebration of the Lord.  What a relief to accept Christ's vicarious obedience on our behalf!

As believers, we don't have the right to live in the flesh, but the power to live in the Spirit.  Our persistent sinning doesn't show our freedom but demonstrates our slavery.  We must learn to overcome the sin that easily besets us (cf. Heb. 12:1) and not to be slaves of sin, but slaves of righteousness, in fact, we are more than overcomers!  (Cf. Rom. 8:37).  We don't want any sin to dominate us and to be our master (cf. Psalm 119:133; 1 Cor. 6:12; 10:23).  We don't want any certain sin to have dominion over us (cf. Psa. 119:133; 19:13; 18:23).  The psalmist says in Psa. 119:133, HCSB, "... Do not let any sin dominate me."  We must let go of the sin that so easily besets us or trips us up! (Cf. Heb. 12:1).  For we are slaves to whatever overcomes us (cf. Rom. 6:16).

We can never be too aware of our sins, for Samuel Rutherford said that the more aware of our sins we are, the less sin.  William Jay of Bath said, "I am a great sinner, and I have a great Savior!'  Also, as we grow in Christ we become more conscious of sin and of God's displeasure!  And who can forget Peter's humility in saying, "Depart from me O Lord, for I am a sinful man" (cf. Luke 5:8).  Then there's the sinners' prayer in Luke 18:13, emphasis mine, saying:  "God be merciful to me, THE sinner!"  Point in fact:  if you don't realize your need for forgiveness and realize your depravity and sinfulness before the Godhead, Jesus has nothing to say to you and the good news isn't relative to you but only condemnation for disobeying the gospel and not fearing God.   Soli Deo Gloria!

No One Has To Be A Loser With God

God is on our side and we cannot lose with Him as our eternal Advocate "This I know:  God is for me" (cf. Psalm 56:9; 118:6).  God is with us through thick and thin (if He got us to it, He'll get us through it!); that means we are never alone! (cf. 2 Chron. 20:7; Isa. 41:10).  God believes in us--our situation is never hopeless!  We may give up hope, but there are no hopeless situations, only those who've given up (cf. Isa. 49:6; Jer. 29:11).   The trouble is that we often want our own way and don't realize that God knows what is best for us!  The only obstacle to God's best for us and His perfect will and plan is us--our will!  Sometimes, if we don't insist on God's will and God's way, He will just say to us, "OK, have it your way (but you'll be sorry and realize I was right!)."

Job often wondered if anyone could intercede for him in his predicament and trial (cf. Job 9:32-33); but as Christians, we should always be cognizant of the fact that God will never give up on us and neither should we (cf. Lev. 26:44). That's like giving up on God Himself, for all his promises have been proved true, not one has failed (cf. Josh. 23:14). The problem with many believers is ignorance per se--they are unaware of His promises and don't avail themselves of them (willful ignorance is never bliss nor an excuse!).

Jesus changed the dynamic of the Jewish culture by associating with known sinners, adulterers, outcasts, untouchables, lepers, and anyone else whom the Pharisees despised.  He was pushing their buttons all right and upsetting their religious apple cart!  Jesus simply wasn't the Messiah of conventional wisdom to deliver them from Roman rule, but one to deliver from sin--they wouldn't admit this was their problem!  Jesus was also given the title "friend of sinners" meant as an insult!  Where would we be if God never loved us while we were sinners and even enemies of the cross and gospel?  Jesus is always our friend but we are never His friend unless we obey Him.  Jesus is never ashamed of us and proud to call us brethren--we should likewise boldly witness for Him and never be ashamed to name the name of Jesus!

It is important to note that the Twelve were just ordinary men, even a ragtime bunch of misfits, unlikely candidates, and ragamuffins. Conventional wisdom would question this dubious band of brothers to accomplish God's will. But Jesus knew who they really were by the grace of God and saw their potential to be used for God's glory.  If Jesus were to be asked what would transpire if they failed, He would most likely retort:  "I have no other plan!"

And so we learn from Mark's gospel narrative and theme of Jesus as the Servant the following important lessons:  God never rejects us and can use rejects of society--call no one useless for whom Christ died and redeemed; Christ always will give us a second chance and we should never feel we blew it so bad we can never get back with the program and get our act together to serve God, for His gifts and calling are without repentance (cf. Rom. 11:29), but we must never forget that we are servants and stewards of the mysteries of God and our spiritual gifts; finally, God can accomplish much with losers who may not even have any self-confidence and think they are qualified for anything (Gideon said he was the least in his family, Moses had three excuses for not serving God and didn't think he was even qualified for such a noble task, and David was the least and youngest in his family and only a shepherd when anointed to be king of Israel by Samuel, and the LORD told him that man looks on the outward appearance, but He looks upon the heart  in 1 Sam. 16:7 ).

But we must never forget that God can never be frustrated or thwarted (cf. Job 42:2). He can make the unwilling willing to do His will and bidding (cf. Phil. 2:13; Col. 1:29; Psalm 110:3; Jer. 20:9).  God has no Plan B and will accomplish it despite our lack of cooperation.  We must get with the program but not just be converted to the program, but converted to Christ and knowing Him as well as sharing Him and making Him known!      Soli Deo Gloria!

The Sin Of Doing Nothing

"The best use of a life is to invest it in something that will outlast it."  (William James, psychologist).
"[M]aking the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil" (Eph. 5:16, NKJV).


Sloth, indolence, or acedia is known as the sin of doing or wanting to do nothing (laziness) and is better known as one of the so-called seven deadly sins of Roman Catholicism.  Analogous is spiritual inertia or getting slack spiritually and losing discipline.  It's hard to get motivated sometimes!    Inertia is one of Newton's laws of physics that says a body at rest tends to stay at rest and a body in motion tends to stay in motion!  We expend most of our energy just getting motivated and started just like when rockets launch and use most of their fuel just getting off the ground.  But we all need times of spiritual, mental, and physical R & R but we can get carried away and lose our work ethic. We love to take it easy and be entertained or have a diversion but often too much for our own good.  That's why God instituted the Sabbath (meaning "rest") to be taken on the seventh day of the week as God did so after Creation and hallowed it. "There remains therefore a rest for the people of God," (cf. Heb. 2:9). 

Today according to New Testament custom we are not under the Law to go through any strict observance of the Sabbath; therefore, we are not to judge our brother on his conscience.   Everyone should keep their faith to themselves and not judge.   In principle, as a rule of thumb, any OT command not reinstituted in the NT or repeated is not valid; for example, the only command of the Decalogue not repeated for Christians is Sabbath observance.  It is not mandatory for Christians, but they are free to exercise their own faith and conscience.  It is clear from Neh. 9:14; Ezek. 20:20; Rom. 15:4, and Col. 2:16 that Sabbath laws are not binding for believers and Christians ought not to judge one another on what he believes.  NB:  The Sabbath was originally meant as a sign for Israel only, though the principle is always intact.

It is wrong to believe that early Christians changed the Sabbath to Sunday in honor of or tribute to the Resurrection and called it the Lord's Day--this was their day of church gathering but it is clear from Scripture that Sabbath observance was never enforced in the early church.  The Sabbath was originally a sign for Israel to mark it out as God's nation-- its original intention was for man's benefit, not to be a burden ("the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath").  Though we are not under this kind of obligatory observance the principle of periodic rest remains and if we neglect it, it will be to the detriment of our wellness. 

If we don't observe this principle (and don't realize that life is more than work) we will pay the price in a possible nervous or mental breakdown and God will force us to lie down in green pastures so to speak.  We ignore rest at our peril and any short-term gain will have long-term effects.   It takes faith to give God back the time He has given us and to realize we can accomplish more in six working days with one for rest and dedication to God than if we work all seven days.

Time is of the essence and a commodity we must value and not waste!  The Bible exhorts us to redeem the time because the days are evil and Psalm 31:15 says that our times are in God's hands---it's not our time but only borrowed from God and we are mere stewards of it.  Therefore, there is no such thing as an interruption because God is in control and fixes our schedule.  When we live in God's time and walk with Him all things go smoothly according to Plan A.  We should want God's will for our lives and don't want Him to say, "OK, have it your way!"  

Some people are so stingy with their time that they think God is worthy of only one hour of it per week while at church!  There is this saying from an ancient people that they don't like to overwork and take breaks to let their souls catch up with their bodies!  Taking a break isn't a sign of laziness but may be wise in the sense that a rested person can work all the more (efficiently).  Our spirits, as well as bodies, need refreshment and rest--we are not machines.

Now, since we are stewards of our time let us consider what people do with it:  we can waste it, find it, lose it, spend it, borrow it, save it, redeem it, steal it, buy it, kill it, share it, while it away, wait for it, invest it, enjoy it, anticipate it, remember it, fill it, and so forth, ad infinitum.  Time is indeed our most precious commodity and Ernest Hemmingway said that time is the thing we have least of. Remember, love is often spelled T-I-M-E!  We all value quality time with our loved ones and must remember we will give an account of our usage. Time flies (tempis fugit in Latin) and we cannot control it, only manage it.   As far as investing it goes,  we never lose out by giving God our time!  Prayer is never a waste of time but an investment: Martin Luther started out the day with several hours of prayer, and if he was going to be busy--he'd spend more!  This principle works for everything we own and gives back to God--He returns to us more in return (we are never the loser!).

For example, if you are pressed for time and cannot ever find enough, start investing in giving Him your time and He will give you "more" as a gift in return!   When someone says he doesn't have the time, it's a lie and deception because we all have the same 168 hours per week as a gift from God--it's not our time to give but to use for God's glory.  Jesus always had the time!  We are only allowed a limited amount of time in this life and must seize the day (carpe deim in Latin).  What it means is that he doesn't have the devotion to God's time, because it all belongs to Him.  I am aware that there can be periods of depression or of having a depressed funk and to be in the doldrums, but one must learn to get out of the ruts and to avail of God's blessing and turn it into one's advantage and learning experience (chalk it up to experience and the school of hard knocks!).  We can learn from these down-times and timeouts and everyone must experience them or they will never grow up spiritually.

It's times like these that our habits form and influence our behavior and we find out that there are dividends to reap in having good time management habits--there is an intrinsic reward in knowing that we have been productive and wise investors of the time God has allocated us as a gift to be used for Him and the service of others.  We may retire from our employment, but never from God's service.  It is selfish to insist on too much "me-time" or personal time-outs and not see it as something we owe others and God.  In view of time as a God-given resource, we are all on borrowed time! 

Certain people don't have all the time in the world, some are just better investors of it to God's glory.  There is a tendency for people who have time on their hands to waste it, but he must realize that he too will give an account as to how he kept busy with God's time.  Remember the words to Esther (Esth. 4:14, HCSB):  "... Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this."  Remember that God orchestrates history and time and "when the fullness of time" (cf. Gal. 4:4) comes He will accomplish His will.  And so, learn to get with the program on God's timetable with your rhythms in sync with God's timeline, so you're on the same page with God!   Final food for thought:  We will always have enough time for God's will because He created the time-space continuum and can make time for us too.   He MAKES EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL IN HIS TIME.  (CF. ECCL. 3:11).    Soli Deo Gloria!  

Happy Christian New Year's Day (Life)!

"... All the days of my struggle I will wait until my change comes"  (Job 14:14, NASB).
"... All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come" (Job 14:14, ESV).


The whole pagan world is united in this: celebrate (get drunk and party) the New Year.  They make such a production out of it that it eclipses everything else--even Christians fall prey to temptations.  But what is New Year's Day for the believer?  God doesn't command us to celebrate it and Christians don't believe in partying and getting drunk.  Most people think of it as a time of renewal and commitment.  But Christians can repent anytime and start over with a new life--they don't have to wait till the new year to start over in life.  Jesus is in the business of changing lives permanently!

Ever new beginnings are what the Chrisitan life is all about.  God changes lives over and over and doesn't ever stop changing us till we are in Christ's image--chipping away anything that doesn't resemble Christ.  Whenever the Christian confesses and repents God offers a clean slate--He forgets our past mistakes and sins and we don't have to either.  It's just like Job proclaimed:  I will wait till my renewal comes (cf. Job 14:14).  We can come to terms with God at any time!  In fact, this is the whole point of Christianity and unique to our faith--we don't have to make vows or resolutions but just confess our fault to God and trust Him.  It's not a matter of trying but trusting!  It would be disingenuous to confess to God not accepting a new beginning or intending to let God remold us and fulfill His promises.  Every day is New Year's Day for believers!  Don't wait till the end of the year to take spiritual inventory or make a checkup on your life--this is an ongoing project.

Remember that God is never finished with us and will not give up on us till glory when the work is perfected.  With the believer, it may be said happy new life for God is in the business of changing lives--this is the point!  If you want to live all year and wait to make the changes you want rather than what God wants you aren't living by the Book. We don't have to wait!

This all comes with the package and we signed up for it upon salvation--commitment towards ultimate perfection (what God wants not us--e.g., not dieting but making healthy choices!).  Just like Christians ought always to be in the Christmas spirit, they also ought to have the right attitude towards new beginnings for the Christian. There are really no holidays for the believer; he isn't even obliged to observe the Sabbath!  But we mustn't just our brother on what is holy to him and what his faith is.  For example, Christmas isn't mandatory but believers over the centuries have given in to public pressure and God has worked it out to be a Christian tradition. And so, why wait? because we can celebrate New Year's Day all the time!  In sum, it's always New Year's Eve for the believer--a time of contemplation and decision making and realizing that God does all the work.     Soli Deo Gloria!

To Fathom God

THAT'S A TRICK TITLE BECAUSE NO ONE BUT GOD CAN FATHOM OR COMPREHEND GOD FULLY OR EVER WILL.

Suffering Job was asked:  Canst thou by searching find out God (Job 11:7).  Is your God too small?  It is impossible to figure God out or to peg Him or confine Him to your specs.  People tend to label Him with human descriptions just like Luther told Erasmus:  Your thoughts of God are too human.  God is no Republican, not a member of the Evangelical Right, not a Baptist, not a politician, in fact, we can never label God or fit Him into our group.  God is no respecter of persons and doesn't take sides in our sports games.

Our goal in life is to know Him and to make Him known, which is the essence of our faith.  The person who can really boast is the one who knows the Lord, not the rich, wise, nor mighty one (God is no bully!).  People think of God the way they are and that is why Voltaire said that man created God in his image!  Thales, the first of the Greek philosophers was challenged to describe God.  After three days he admitted he couldn't.  What the skeptic will tell you is that if you can describe God to him maybe he'll believe.  We must come to God in faith and be willing to go where the evidence leads and God convicts us with no conditions.  The point the skeptic will not understand nor accept is that if you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus because He's the very icon and express image of God.

It takes a leap of faith (into the light, not the darkness) but this is the only way to know God and the person must realize it will cost him everything he's got (the ownership of his life and surrender to God's will); however, not believing will cost more (suffering the wrath of God forever).  People who want to know God say they are searching for God but they are searching for the benefits and not the Benefactor.  The only real way to know God is by accepting Him on His terms and by experiencing Him in a daily walk.  We actually begin our search to know God at salvation; it doesn't end there.

People like to put God in a box, like thinking of Him merely Santa, as the man upstairs, the Spirit in the sky, Father Time, the Celestial Policeman or Killjoy,  and even when we see Him as our Heavenly Father we are still putting Him in a box if this is the limit of our knowledge and we only see Him in that capacity, not as our Judge, Ruler, Advocate, or Provider.  Actually, Father is the covenant name for God for Christians and unbelievers have no prerogative to call Him that.  We all long for something and are on a quest for something to satisfy the inner emptiness and vacuum in our soul but just knowing God exists doesn't satisfy, we must have an existential encounter with Him and knowing Him in a relationship--that's why He's called a personal God because He gets personal and is a person we can relate to.

We must learn to think big and outside the box, if we are to know God.  It's not how big our faith is but how big our God--that's why we must strive to know Him for who He is and not have any presuppositions.  Knowing God boggles the mind and blows us away as well as challenges and enlarges the intellect.  God-talk or theological discussion and conversation was the hobby of every seventeenth-century gentleman.  We find out soon enough that God is no vapor, essence, principle, force, nor influence but a person like us and that is why we are in the image of God and of all creatures alone have the capacity to relate to and communicate with God.  God became a man in order that we may have something to relate to and see God with skin on and Jesus is merely perfect God and perfect man in one person.  Even the believer realizes he can never define nor confine God but understands the basic principle:  the finite cannot contain (grasp) the infinite.

The Christian is not excused from knowing about God though this is a prerequisite for knowing Him, he learns to turn knowledge about God into the knowledge of God.  Even the gospels don't attempt to describe Jesus but to make Him known.  The Christian realizes in His walk that it's the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, the purest ethics, the highest science, the most fulfilling and abundant life.  The believer realizes that he's not presenting a creed but a person and that is the point when one knows Him; it's not a to-do list nor a rulebook, but a gateway to the Way (the Higher life in Christ whereas one has found ultimate fulfillment and a richer life than ever dreamed or imagined).  His goal, according to Richard of Chichester, is to know Christ more clearly, to love Him more dearly and this is done by following Him more nearly (for the essence of the Christian ethic is to follow Christ, i.e., become a disciple)!  Everything we need to know of God is revealed in Jesus as God's icon!   We must realize the wisdom of Plato:  If I want to know how to live in reality, I must know what God is really like.  I say amen to Plato on this!

The keynote of God is love which defines Him.  "God is love."   Those who love and know love know God for God is love.  But if we say we know God and do not obey Him we lie.  The test of our faith and knowledge of God is our obedience (we obey the law of love), not our portfolio or real estate!   We cannot know God by our wisdom and we cannot find nor know Him apart from grace.  The world by wisdom cannot know God!  He must be revealed to us and we must be illuminated and have our spiritual eyes, as well as the eyes of our hearts, opened.  The closer we grow to God the more He infects our minds and fills our thoughts--we find our destiny, purpose, and meaning in Him. But what keeps us humble is that we didn't find God--He found us first and we would never have searched for Him had He not first found us!  He hides and will only be found by diligent searching with one's whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, but he will indeed authenticate Himself to anyone who does search earnestly.

I am not writing from some inside track as if I had a vision or special revelation, I've practiced what I've learned and the more we do that the more we learn and experience with God is the best teacher.  We don't want Him to be nearly a theory or idea!  We acquaint ourselves with God to have inner peace and prosperity.  Spiritual riches are the most fulfilling, not materialistic ones or the love of the things of the world and what it offers.  We will find that the more we get to know God and put it into practice that we will grow in our love for God.  But we must realize that we can even get A's in theology class and not know our God!   It's not a matter of information, for the Bible wasn't written to increase our knowledge but to change lives!  The ultimate result and proof of our relationship and salvation and the whole point is conversion or change.  We never qualify, earn, nor deserve to know Him and can never be good enough, only bad enough to need Him--the qualification is to realize one is unqualified.

We all want an infectious, contagious faith.  Some people try to do things backward--they reform their lives or turn over a new leaf, but the change must come from the inside out for Christ didn't' come to make bad men good (goody-goodies) but to make dead men alive in Christ.  Christians are the ones most alive and living not existing because Christ lives in them. Remember this one thing though, we will never fully understand God's nature (i.e.,  His deity, trinity, sovereignty, glory, and majesty) but will always be humbled throughout all eternity by our increasing knowledge of the Divinity.  God's personhood is a mystery in Jesus for no one will ever figure out the kenosis (emptying of Himself in His incarnation ) nor the dual nature in one personhood of Christ.

Every system of thought or philosophy that doesn't start with Christ is bogus!  He is our beginning and ending! That's why the Bible begins:  "In the beginning God...."   This statement is not just an introduction or opening line, but the essential doctrine to all doctrine and worldview--i.e., we start with God and explain the universe, we don't start with the universe and explain away God!   In sum, God is the perfect Being that is above and beyond anything imaginable and needs no improvement and cannot become anything less--if you knew all about Him you would beg to have a relationship with Him.   Soli Deo Gloria! 

You Cannot Rationalize God...

It's a no-win scenario, an exercise in futility, and will be to no avail trying to argue someone into the kingdom--they have their minds made up and don't want to be confused with the facts.  There's no smoking-gun proof of God (otherwise everyone would believe)--God is only pleased with a leap of faith to know Him. It's not a step into the darkness but into the light!   Evidence in itself is not always conclusive but only one argument for or against a proposition.  What one has to do is to go in the direction of the evidence and believe in the preponderance of the evidence. Many a jury has decided a verdict without all the evidence being in, and even of having no direct evidence but only circumstantial.

But one must be willing to go where the facts lead with an open mind just like in science without presupposition.  If you are not willing to admit even the possibility of God no amount of evidence will convince you. In fact, without God the First Thinker we cannot believe in thought!  First comes the thinker, then the thought, then the object, then the action with the object; thus the link in the chain must begin somewhere. The Bible attributes the First Thought to Jesus ("In the beginning was the Word....").   Infinite regress or passing the buck into eternity (a is caused by b, b is caused by c, c is caused by d, ad infinitum) is impossible and cannot go on forever without some point of the beginning--if there was no beginning there would be no chain according to logic.  We cannot believe in a beginning (Big Bang) without a Beginner!  That's like believing in a bullet being shot from a gun without a shooter.

The maxim goes without saying:  "A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still."  Jesus had performed many miracles and yet they demanded some sign that they couldn't resist--a biggie miracle. The man of God must not be quarrelsome, contentious, judgmental, divisive, or argumentative!  We seek an open door not to close them--bridges not walls! Let God open them and look for opportunities!  Some discussions will turn into arguments and are not worth the adrenaline and generate more heat than light!  Note:  yet they will not believe, it's not that they can not believe (cf. John 12:37). 

Many philosophers have offered "proofs" of God but these are only arguments that the strengthen the faith of the faithful and soften the ones of the infidel but God still requires faith, not proof--He doesn't need to prove Himself to us.  The Bible never attempts to prove God but assumes Him.  You cannot force a person to believe because it's not a matter of the intellect but of intellectual pride.  They say that the heart of the matter is that it's a matter of the heart!  All in all, we only accept the facts that suit our opinions and there is no one with perfect objectivity.

Did you know that you cannot prove anything!  Try proving the Mona Lisa is beautiful to the ignorant or the sun to the blind man or the harmony of an orchestra to a young person.  Some will deny the beauty of a sunset though this is almost universally accepted.  We believe in the sun, not just because we can see the sun, but we can see everything else!  You cannot prove the rainbow is beautiful to those who know how to debate.  What if they don't like colors or are color blind?  Everything isn't a matter of logic or math where everything is contingent upon one undeniable proposition or self-evident truth.  That's why in the beginning there was logic (the Logos or Jesus known as the Word).  There are two basic assumptions that all knowledge is based upon the law of noncontradiction and the law of causality.  Without these two laws, we couldn't know anything!

The point is that all knowledge is contingent, except God's!  In fact, everything is contingent except God.  We all depend upon something or someone but God!  We must all be willing to accept or believe in something we cannot prove, a presupposition or theory; for instance, evolution is founded upon an unproven and unprovable theory.  It's never a matter of faith versus reason but which set of propositions we are willing to accept. Those who think science has undermined the Bible neither understand the Bible nor science--which is based on the biblical worldview and owes its existence to Christians.  We all have faith!  No one believes in "nothing!"  Just like no one worships "nothing!"  Everyone has a god or God.  If you do not worship the living God, you worship some other god.  We have a choice as to what we choose to place our faith in, though; for instance, secularists have bet the farm on the assumption that science has all the answers.

There are classic "proofs" of God including creation itself because it had to come from something or someone and couldn't have created itself, the existence of purpose (everything seems to have it)--hence a "Purposer," the appearance of design implying a Grand Designer, the existence of beauty needing an Artist, and even the obvious fact that we see order everywhere from sub-atomic to galactic and we know that nothing can be in order without an Orderer,  the existence of cause and effect or causality necessitating a First Cause or causa prima (cosmologically thinking) because infinite regress is impossible (the chain cannot go on forever but must have an origin)--in other words nothing just happens by itself, the moral or character argument that necessitates a Standard of right and wrong and explaining where our values and conscience came from, the most obvious proof of God is the miracle that takes place in the heart of an individual upon finding God and being converted; i.e., changed lives that cannot be denied.

And so there is ample proof for those who want to believe but God isn't going to force Himself on anyone.  There is never enough proof for the hardened in heart, stubborn, and unwilling.  But one can never disbelieve for lack of evidence!  If a person is a sincere searcher of the truth and the answer and willing to accept God and the consequences of knowing Him.  Remember God is no man's debtor and will reveal Himself.  God will authenticate Himself to the earnest searcher as promised.  The problem is that people deny the God they do know and the evidence that they have been aware of and simply choose a life of sin and rebellion against God going their own way and doing their own thing.     Soli Deo Gloria!
    

Do You Know Him?

"Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them" (John 13:17, NIV). 

Salvation is not achieved nor earned but received as God opens one's eyes to the true identity of who Jesus is, as Peter exclaimed:  "Thou art the Messiah, the Son of the Living God."  And the Father had revealed this to him to open his eyes to spiritual truth.  Faith is not in the acquiescence of the identity of Jesus nor of agreeing with church dogma, but in living out this faith and making it real in our hearts as we fall in love with our Lord in a lifelong relationship and experience. There is so-called story faith or head belief and then there's something a few inches lower:  heart belief or acceptance into the heart.

To know Him is to love Him is the old cliche, but this is scriptural since we must follow on to know Him in reality (cf. Hos. 6:3) and Jesus equated knowing Him with salvation. Of course, it goes without saying that to know Him is to love Him.  Not just knowing His identity but accepting its ramifications and to obey Him as He demands. If we love Him, we will obey Him--the only test of faith is obedience though (cf. Heb. 3:18-19).   There is no salvation without obedience.  Faith must be demonstrated by works or otherwise, it is suspect and empty talk.  As James did say that dead faith (without accompanying works) cannot save.  The Reformers taught it plainly: "We are saved by faith alone but not by a faith that is alone."  Faith must be authenticated by works or its spurious and suspect.

We show others that we know Him by our testimony and life witness which should never be jeopardized by sin.  We ought to freely show our faith, not privatizing it, but then again not flaunting it nor wearing it on our sleeve--let God open doors to share your story.  Once you have a story you will be surprised at the opportunities God gives to share it.  This is where faithfulness comes in and faith and faithfulness are the same words in Hebrew which is appropriate. Faith cannot be divorced from faithfulness for the "righteous shall live by their faith" (fulness)--Hab. 2:4. We prove we know Him by living out our faith and sharing it and showing it's not just pie-in-the-sky or wishful thinking but has a common application to everyday, mundane life.   So, what's the gospel according to you?   If we say we know Him and do not obey Him we are lying!

We must know Him in that He is real to us and we recognize and acknowledge His presence:  "He is there, and He is not silent,"  according to Francis Schaeffer.  When we know Him we will see Him in action as "God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform" (according to hymn writer William Cowper).  Salvation is not only knowing Him but it is an ethic of proving this to others:  We must know Him and make Him known.  The ultimate proof of knowing Him is the miracle of a transformed or changed life--this is the whole point of salvation. Changing lives is Jesus' business!   If there's no fruit there is no faith and good soil always produces fruit! Colossians 1:10 says that we grow or increase in the knowledge of God as we bear fruit in every good work!

It is important that we acknowledge that the important fact of salvation is not that we know Him but that He knows us (cf. Gal. 4:9).  He knew us before the world was even created and this is called "foreknowledge" by theologians and scholars.  For whom He knew, He predestined!  This means that God ordered and arranged the events in our life so that we would get saved!  And for whom He predestined He called (cf. Romans 8:29)!  This means that God individually reached out and wooed us to salvation.  And for whom He called He justified or saved!  And finally, the terminus of the chain of salvation:  For whom He justified He glorified.  This means God sees the whole event as one unbroken and linked chain that cannot be separated.  And it also means no one gets lost in the shuffle; there is no one who was called that didn't get justified and no one justified that didn't get glorified.  In the final analysis, this the ultimate proof of our security in Christ that our salvation is a done deal or a fait accompli.  

Knowing the Lord is more than acquired information or teachings about Him as at an academic level:  We must experience Him and relate to Him on a personal level; i.e., we convert our knowledge about God into the knowledge of God.  When we finally know Him we are not immune from knowing about Him, but we know Him on a level above that.  We are never excused from knowing about Him and becoming believers or disciples entails matriculating in the school of Christ to dedicate one's life to the lifelong pursuit of the knowledge of God and its application.  It's not enough to know; we must apply our knowledge and turn our creeds into deeds!  You can know a lot about God and still not know Him!  In the seventeenth century, it was every gentleman's hobby to be conversant in the Bible and basic holy talk.  Today even in the churches it seems like no one wants to talk about the godly or holy but only to engage in the mundane and secular.

Finally, if we want to boast we should boast in the Lord.  As Paul said, "I venture not to speak but of what  Christ has accomplished through me" (cf. Rom. 15:18).  What hath God wrought?  We praise God for who He is and thank Him for what He has done, is doing and believe He will do.  But Jeremiah 9:24 says that if a man should boast he should boast that he knows the Lord!  This is more to be braggadocious about than riches, wisdom, or strength.  Soli Deo Gloria!   

The Call To Lordship

Lordship salvation has been a matter of debate for decades even among well-meaning evangelicals.  Some maintain that requiring a lordship decision is tantamount to demanding works in exchange for salvation (which is supposed to be a gift of grace).  We can do nothing to earn, deserve, nor pay back our salvation, which is a monergistic (one-sided) enterprise of God not a synergistic or cooperative affair between us and God. Salvation is all God's work and we don't help Him or prepare ourselves for it as Jonah 2:9 says, "Salvation is of the Lord." Jesus Himself demanded the utmost loyalty and surrender in His invitation to follow Him on to know Him (the essence of salvation and its application).  We must make a one-time full surrender (as well as daily renewals) to His will for our lives and be willing to follow on to know Him wherever He leads--this was a well-nigh impossible demand that actually discouraged seekers who were not wholehearted followers but merely curious or simply admirers or wanted the fringe benefits of being a follower without paying the cost--which could be the ultimate sacrifice of laying down one's life for the sake of the Name.

In other words, we must be willing to go wherever He leads and do whatever He demands without reservation--holding naught back.  Anything less is only being a halfhearted disciple.  We must be gung-ho for the Lord and seek Him with our whole heart.  We don't do God any favors by "accepting Him" because we must accept Him for who He is without dividing His offices of Savior and Lord.  We trust as Savior and submit as Lord.   Actually, the terminology of "accepting" Him is unbiblical and only made up to domesticate the gospel call and make it more palatable to the unbeliever.  Jesus never made it easy to become a Christan or disciple (interchangeable terms in Scripture) but actually discouraged some.

We have more of a problem of false disciples with a false assurance that we do with believers who lack assurance.  Assurance is not an automatic fruit and there are degrees of certitude of one's salvation as one matures in Christ.  That's why the only way we can be sure of salvation is to realize it's a sole enterprise of God and we contribute naught. Assurance is a matter of coupling the Word of God with the internal evidence and conviction of the Holy Spirit ("The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God," cf. Rom 8:16).  If we had to do anything we'd fail!  Lordship, then, is more trusting God through thick and thin and even when the chips are down!  Knowing that if the Lord got you to it, He'll get you through it!

Jesus will not save those He cannot command according to A. W. Tozer!  The command is to repent and follow Him!  We must be obedient for that is the only measure of faith--not emotions, accomplishments, nor success! The mandate is to obey the gospel (cf. Rom. 1:5; 16:26; Acts 6:7; 2 Thess. 1:8).   As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes."  The two are correlated and cannot be separated as doctrines but only distinguished--they are eternally linked and juxtaposed in Scripture.  Hebrews 3:18-19, HCSB, says, "And who did He swear to that they would not enter His rest, if not those who disobeyed?  So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief."  I want to point out that disobeying God doesn't cancel our salvation but the only ones who obey are believers.  We must obey the gospel to be saved!  But the measure and standard of our faith is its obedience, not its achievements or success, for God doesn't call us to success but to faithfulness according to Mother Teresa (Saint Teresa).

He is Lord of all (Acts 10:36; Rom. 10:12) and we don't make Him Lord, for God made Him both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).  God the Father has given Him all authority (cf. Matt. 28:18) and we must do the same and follow suit!  He is Lord and we must obey and submit like the hymn goes, "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus...."  If we don't receive Him as our Lord we are rejecting Him; we know Him for who He is! We don't "try Jesus" or give Him a chance to prove Himself; we must take the leap of faith into the light!  There's no other way except by faith!   In short, we must bow to His lordship and be willing to pay the cost of discipleship (for He stressed that we must count the cost!).  He has given His Spirit to those who obey Him (cf. Acts 5:32; Heb. 5:9).  

Jesus simply cannot save us if He is not our Lord and that means Lord of all, not withholding anything back or having any reservations or hesitations to follow Him bearing our cross which pales in comparison to His.  When they ask, "Who's the boss?" we should unreservedly answer that Jesus is the master of our fate and the captain of our soul!  We have surrendered the ownership of our lives to His control and our destiny and future are in His hands!  This is not the gospel in vogue today but it is the biblical one.  It is not easy-believism which is simply an acknowledgment and it is not cheap grace which justifies the sin and not the sinner!    In sum, when we call Him Lord we are admitting that we are His slaves; the point is that everyone is a slave and we only exchange masters from being the slave of sin to being the slave of righteousness!   In fact, the more enslaved to Christ, the freer we really are.  Soli Deo Gloria!

A Little Christmas Spirit

Every Christian should be filled with the Spirit during the holiday season as a witness to our goodwill, charity, and good cheer during the happiest time of year even for the unbeliever who shares in the common grace of God given to all to change hearts.  Yes, God softens the hardest heart and can make it like His own by a work of grace.  Christmas is a bonanza of opportunity to be a Christian witness to the unsaved and to show what our faith really stands for--peace, goodwill toward all.  For we alone know the true meaning of Christmas.   At no other time of year do we hear Christmas carols on the radio and in the stores as a matter of course.  Even infidels would agree that it's the most wonderful and wonder-filled time of the year.  Not to mention:  This season has a way of changing people and making them realize that Christianity does have some substance--it's not all pie-in-the-sky or even religiosity.  And no one wants to be a Scrooge or a Grinch!

Some Christians may even not feel like celebrating the season and believe that since the early church didn't and it's not Scriptural that something about it may be un-Christian.  By the same token, Christians celebrate Thanksgiving not because it's biblical, but because Christians of all people should be examples of owing a debt of gratitude to God and we cannot thank Him enough.  This also is a time to share our Spirit with the unbeliever.  I believe that Thanksgiving had Puritan roots and it had the intention of giving thanks to God.  If there were no God, we would have no reason for the celebration and no one to thank!  It is a time of national recognition of God whether people admit it and realize it or not.  It is one of the days some go to church that otherwise never go and do get the opportunity to hear the real meaning of the season.

Do you have the Christmas spirit? Everyone has their own way of getting into the mood from listening to music to fellowship.  The spirit of Christmas manifests itself in manifold ways.  That's why believers of all people should be examples of good cheer and have the spirit of giving (as Jesus said that it's more blessed to give than to receive).  For we realize that it is in giving that we receive and everyone has something to give--even sacrifice of time and labor if one is destitute.  I wish the season would not just be for the weeks of Advent but the Christian spirit would endure the whole year round--what an open door that would be!  It is not carnal to enjoy or sing secular Christmas songs like enjoying the myth of it as well (e.g., Santa, a white Christmas, the decor of Christmas trees and lights, mistletoe, winter wonderland, stockings, and whatever tradition has wrought).  It's not a sin to be sentimental and enjoy giving and receiving presents as long as one realizes that's not the focus and purpose of the holiday season.

Many families have traditions for the season and even make it quality family time.  There's nothing wrong with tradition as long as it doesn't controvert Scripture, but it must bow to conviction and not take precedence over the spiritual or scriptural--keeping things in perspective! But when we become the slave of tradition or it dictates our choices, there's something amiss.  Every family has a right to have private gatherings and traditions of its own.  As a family affair, it's a miracle to see Christmas through the eyes of a child filled with wonder.

We have to realize that everyone is at a different level spiritually and some people need to just have their hearts softened and to realize that Christianity has something to offer the world.   As long as we do not lose focus on the true meaning of Christmas--that Jesus is the reason for the season!  NB:  Santa, or Saint Nicklaus, was a Christian and cannot help it that such a legend has been concocted about him throughout the centuries.  Would he turn in his grave?

And therefore we should all agree that Christians of all people should have the Christmas spirit and manifest it in whatever way they can.  We need not fear to get sentimental and letting our feelings show, for Christmas is different strokes to different folks.  THEREFORE, SPREAD A LITTLE CHEER, YOU'LL BE ALL THE BETTER WITNESS FOR CHRIST DOING IT AND SOMEONE MAY SEE A GLIMPSE OF CHRIST IN YOU.   In sum, don't be afraid that it's unbiblical to spread a little Christmas cheer to the world as a witness during the time of the open door.     Soli Deo Gloria!