What Makes Us Human? ...

"Where is God my Maker? ... Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth?  (cf. Job 35:10-11). 

"Do you think we are mere animals? Do you think we are stupid?" (Job 18:3, NLT).

If you were the ultimate biologist, you could figure out how to make a robot come to life and find the secret to life itself that is common to all life forms.  But one trait of life is information storage in DNA and that is quite astounding with 23,000 genes and 3.1 billion rings in a helix ladder.  Every cell in your body has more information stored in it than all 30 volumes of an encyclopedia.  The possibility of making a human being a la Frankenstein is purely prima facie implausible.   What's more, mankind has not even been able to define life or duplicate it. All such attempts have failed to come off even if rigged in favor of it, in any life creation experiment; they have tried in vain even cheating by interfering or changing the so-called primordial soup.   

Note that if we did manipulate a primordial soup to form basic life forms, it would only prove that it takes the magic ingredient of intelligence. This begs the question, where did this soup come from?   We need an Ultimate Mind for that and to create the manifold lifeforms.  The divine order is Thinker, thought, thing.  Intelligence comes from a mind, not random, pure energy.  Signs of intelligence are signs of intellect. 

It is said that there is something about the way God is that we are!  We are in the image of God or imago Dei for a reason.  Yes, what is human nature and some worldviews deny there is one!  But why do we seem to act like there is one and there needs to be more proof?  We are not robots, automatons, puppets, or playthings of God but are free agents with a will of our own.  We are not animals who act by instinct, instead, we are rational, intuitive, artistic, poetic, musical, humorous, creative, moral, spiritual, and communicative. God gave only us the gift of language to facilitate a relationship with Him. Yes, all of the above traits show we are in the image of God and not apes.  Would you trust the convictions of a monkey?  We are capable of a complete worldview: convictions, beliefs, and ideas all about reality.  These things answer the deep and big questions of life that we uniquely wonder about: where did we come from, why are we here, where are we headed, is there a God? 

Plato said that if he wanted to live in reality, he would need to know what God is like.  We can know God and have a relationship with Him because He also is a person and wants to get personal with us.  A force or principle cannot love you.  You use things but relate to people!   God wants to relate to us personally and let us get to know Him because He loves us.  Note that Obi-Wan Kenobi didn't tell Luke Skywalker that the force loved him!  We all as humans need companionship, fulfillment, dignity, purpose, meaning, and respect and this we get in knowing God and we deserve it just because we are human.  It is because we are in the image of God that we have human rights; they are conferred by God but secured by the state.  

Christians are more human than infidels because they know God and are doing His will and finding purpose and meaning in serving Him.  Infidels generally live for themselves and not for some higher cause or power.  Religion is just trying to please God or earn salvation by good deeds, hoping they will outweigh the bad ones.  Christians can worship God because they are alive spiritually and the infidel is dead spiritually.  This is a whole new perspective and outlook on life from God's view.  We are made to worship and if we don't worship God, we will worship someone or something else.  It is not human as meant to be to worship power, fame, success, money, education, achievement, or celebrities.  These all are idol worship and are sinful and contrary to what we are designed for. Other things we are designed for are work and fellowship or friendship.  We are made for each other. It is said that those who have learned to serve others are the happiest people.  

Jesus was human as well as God and is the perfect Exemplar of what we ought to be and He led the sinless life that we all fall short of achieving.  To be human also means to sin because we are born in Adam but we have the chance to be redeemed from this state and be transformed into new creatures who can overcome sin and not be controlled by it. We can become dead to sin!  But this redemption and renewal is predicated on committing one's life to Christ as Lord and Savior.  We must first repent as the prerequisite and believe that Jesus is the living God who died for our sins and rose again to prove His deity.  We must then give Him the ownership of our lives and the helm of our soul to obey and follow Him wherever He leads us.  We must do all this by translating our creeds into deeds and proving, authenticating, and validating our faith and repentance by fruit or good deeds that we will be known and judged by. 

Now, what does this image mean to us? Man is like God and God formed us in His image, we didn't form God in ours! There is a bona fide similarity because God is a person, we are too, and able to communicate with each other; we have a mind to know God, a heart to love Him, and a will to obey Him--animals don't but are driven by instinct. Man is capable of rebelling against God and going his own way, and he does! The obvious truth is that if we are persons, God has to be greater than a person or a person Himself to a greater degree to create us! Except for our sin and limited nature, whatever we are as persons, you can say about God.

How are we like God then? We are rational, emotional, communicative, moral beings, that have dignity, purpose, and meaning in life. We can relate to God as a person because of this--God is just perfect, infinite, immutable, almighty, invisible, omniscient, holy, etc., and God is Spirit, while we have bodies! Originally Adam and Eve had no sin and were innocent, not knowing good and evil, nor what that means, but now they are guilty before God as sinners in need of redemption, and this image is marred and will be restored someday in glory. Being like God, we are creative and have an imagination that can be communicated and enjoyed.

How do we know we are not animals, that we're unique? Have you ever observed an animal of any species building a chapel, or communicating with God in prayer? Do animals have a conscience, and feel guilty when they've disobeyed or sinned? Animals have a will of their own, for sure, but not to disobey or obey God--animals are oblivious to God's presence and dimension. Only man can reflect on the past, present, and future, making plans, etc., and to criticize himself or see himself through other people's eyes objectively. Man alone is rational (you can reason with him, and he can reason and learn from it), and can communicate all thoughts and feelings, in written, verbal, and body language.

Man alone judges and criticizes and this is because he has a conscience that knows right and wrong by nature; you don't call something crooked if you don't have some idea of what straight is. Man has discernment, the ability to distinguish spirits, and insight; however, animals have instinct--they're basically creatures in heat, seeking food and shelter, only to perpetuate their kind. Do animals appreciate art and design, though they may be beautiful, none appreciate it, except in the opposite sex for the mating ritual?

Furthermore, do you realize that man alone can enjoy something vicariously? Man can accumulate and increase a body of knowledge and pass it on to succeeding generations and build civilizations and cultures. Animals stay at the same level of learning (by instinct) their full lives and never increase in knowledge generation after generation. Animals can mate for life, but they do not fall in and out of love, it's a basic instinct, hormones, and testosterone in action, not the soul or spirit. Animals, such as dogs and cats can show similar qualities of love and affection but have no desire on the abstract level with God (or ideas, learning, wisdom, causes, etc.), and that dimension of relationship.

Now, God says in Genesis 1 that He breathed into Adam the breath of life and he became a living being! This is the distinction: God has only given man the concept of eternity and the hope of eternal life in his heart, he alone ponders the afterlife and looks for answers to life's spiritual dilemmas. Aren't you glad that you aren't some grand fluke of nature or cosmic accident, but have a reason for being and purpose in life? And so it's not as simple as the proverb: To err is human, to forgive divine! In sum, some people have a psychological need to conceive of themselves as animals--they desire to act like them! Soli Deo Gloria!

 Soli Deo Gloria! 

Our Beatific Vision

The pagan Emperor Trajan once asked a Christian why his God was invisible and you couldn't see him (it sounded atheistic to him--just worshiping a spirit), and he was informed and given the scoop: "Look at the sun!" Trajan said he couldn't because it's too bright. "Then don't you now realize that, if you cannot behold God's creation, how much less the splendor and glory of God?" Jesus said that God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth (cf. John 4:24).

The Greek believers asked the disciples if they could see Jesus. "We would see Jesus!" We don't need to see Him in order to know Him, because Jesus said blessed is he who believes and hasn't seen (cf. John 20:29). We can see with the eyes of our hearts which are opened by the Holy Spirit's illuminating ministry. We are seeing the glory of God when our eyes are opened to see how He is manifest in believers, and we see Jesus in them and they see Him in us--this is only a taste of the glory which shall be revealed to us. As Hebrews 2:9 (ESV) says: "But we see him [i.e., Jesus, with our spiritual eyes] ...."

We shall all be satisfied in heaven by beholding the face of God (in Jesus), but only because we will not be in the flesh, but without any sin to corrupt our spiritual bodies and souls. God has revealed Himself throughout the Bible in many theophanies (revelation of God, such as in the burning bush) and Christophanies (revelation of Jesus, such as the Angel of the LORD). From the burning bush to appearances as the Angel of the LORD, to Gideon and as the Son of Man, to Daniel's friends in the furnace, and to Daniel in a vision. John saw Jesus in His glory at the transfiguration and then finally at Patmos in a vision of heaven.

Jesus is how God manifests Himself as the embodiment, personification, or icon of God. When Philip (cf. John 14:8-9) asked Jesus during the Last Supper in the Upper Room to show them the Father, Christ said, that he who has seen Him has seen the Father--they are one! All that God wants to reveal of Himself is presented in the Son--all that God has to say to us and all that we can know. God is Spirit, according to Jesus, and became a man for our sake so we would have something to relate to and what to think of when we meditate on God. Jesus is analogous to the sun because He gives light to all He shines on, and makes life possible too.

Jesus has the Shekinah (glory of God), not reflected the glory of God, as Moses had after being in His presence. Jesus does not reflect light--He is light: John 8:12 says, "... I am the light of the world...." Jesus willingly veiled His glory because they couldn't behold it in full. Jesus has all the glory of the Father, there is no diminishing of it, but He voluntarily laid it aside (known as the kenosis in Philippians 2) while incarnated on earth before His ascension. Actually, Jesus shines brighter than the sun, which is only an analogy or symbol of Him.

In glory, we shall behold Him: "... [B]ut we know that when he appears we shall be like him because we shall see him as he [Jesus]" (1 John 3:2, ESV). Moses wanted to see God's face but God said that no man shall see His face and live [in the flesh], as Jesus told Moses in Exodus 33:23. Jesus said in His Beatitudes that the pure in heart are blessed, for they shall see God [in the NT God usually refers to God the Father].

Don't forget the Aaronic benediction in Numbers 6:24-26 as a promise to claim: "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." What man has always yearned for is a God they can see; one that has skin on and we can relate to. Jesus is just that incarnation: God with skin on!  

Jesus said that "God is glorified in Him" (cf. John 10:34) and this is when He is glorified. At His priestly prayer in John 17 Jesus besought the return of His glory after He had glorified the Father by doing all His will and being obedient in His subordination and humility. He did it by accomplishing all God's work for Him on earth that was given Him to do (cf. John 17:4). By analogy we give up our glory to share His glory and to glorify God: "The chief end of man is to glorify God, and enjoy Him forever" (The Westminster Shorter Catechism, ca. 1646).

Everyone will bow to the glory of God, either at Judgment Day, or to become a believer and surrender the control over himself, and even others, to the lordship of Christ. We must give up the ownership of our lives and realize we owe all to Him because He purchased us at the cross with His blood. But Jesus wants more than our bodies dedicated to Him as reasonable service (cf. Rom. 12:1), He wants us (to surrender everything we have and are to His lordship)! This entails and involves giving up your personal throne and kingdom and surrender it to God's sovereignty and guidance or plan for your life--we don't ask God to bless our plans, but Him to reveal His plan.

We leave our throne to bow to His and ultimately get a crown to reign with Him, just like Jesus left His throne in Heaven to humble Himself in obedience all the way to the cross. This surrender and acknowledgment of His lordship are not only done at salvation but renewed daily, as we learn to walk in the Spirit and in fellowship with God and our brethren (cf. 1 John 1:7). We actually have more authority in Christ after surrendering our authority and this is a paradox indeed (i.e., if we are lords, we are to become servants for Christ's sake and humble and meek enough that no service is beneath our dignity). We have nothing in comparison to lose and everything in eternity to gain, including the right to rule in glory with Christ, as we go from glory to glory to an ultimate glorified state in the New Jerusalem.

He doesn't want sacrifice or offering, or even going through the motions of the rituals of worship--Jesus internalized religion to make it a matter of the heart (He said evil comes out from the heart of man) because the Pharisees had externalized it to outward obedience to the letter of the Law, and neglect of the spirit of the Law. He wants all there is of us--all of our minds, hearts, souls, spirits, strength, and wills. John was stunned at the sight of the Lord, so just imagine how we would react!

Jesus is the Great Inspector General of the church and we all need to pass muster and be ready for daily inspection of our daily walk--take regular spiritual check-ups so as not to jeopardize your testimony to the world. Paul said to "test yourselves whether you are in the faith." We are to examine ourselves (cf. 2 Cor. 13:5)--not others--regularly and especially before the Lord's Supper. We are fruit inspectors--not detectives. We must examine ourselves first because judgment begins at the house of God, and when we have cast the beam out of our own eye we can help someone else with the speck in theirs.

In other words, don't throw bricks if you live in a glasshouse, because we all have feet of clay or have vulnerabilities not readily apparent--we may see the sins of others as obvious; however, we just sin differently and have no right to look down on our brother or criticize him, and we are all vulnerable to Satan's attack, which Martin Luther called the Anfectung, and we should never succumb to this nor even his accusations. If we take care of our witness and testimony, God will take care of our reputation and open doors for us--we must just be ready! 

Men have always imagined what God must be like and Christians have longed to see visions and revelations of God, known as theophanies. But no one knows what God looks like because God is Spirit (cf. John 4:24)! Moses saw the backside of the glory of Christ, who does reveal Himself, but the Father doesn't and no man has ever seen the Father. Our faith concerns the God who is there!

A child was asked what he was drawing in class: "I'm drawing a picture of God!" The teacher told him no one knows that:   the child said, "They will now."   The child had to learn that no one can draw God, but the child answered that people will see now what He looks like. Children have an innocent faith and we are to mimic it (cf. Matt. 18:3). Hebrews says that we do see Jesus (cf. Heb. 2:9), and we sense His presence when two or three are gathered in His name as a promise (cf. Matt. 18:20).

He indwells each of us and we can have an existential encounter with Him as we read Scripture, fellowship, worship, or pray. Christians see the glory of God in His work on earth and will see God's glory in heaven, to our delight. The prophets who claimed they "saw God" were seeing theophanies, and not God in His fullness. We cannot bear to look at the sun in its brightness, much less look at the glory of God directly. That's one reason God reveals Himself propositionally and in the Word.

Christians want Christ to be seen in them and also to seek Christ being glorified. As Paul said in Col. 1:27, "Christ in you, the hope of glory." He also boasted that Christ was glorified in him. We wait till Christ be formed in us and in our brethren as a sign of maturity. God will never give up making us in His image and we are works in progress (cf. Phil. 1:6).

The Greek disciples who came to the apostles and said they "[wanted] to see Jesus"; we have a much greater thing in that we have the Word of God and full revelation of the wisdom and knowledge of God in it--we're better off than being with Christ in person also because we have the inner blessing of the Spirit. The apostles said that it would suffice to see the Father, but Jesus said that to see Him was to see the Father! All that we can know and see God is revealed in Christ! In eternity we'll see the big picture!

The infidel doesn't see God anywhere at work, but the believer sees His fingerprint everywhere, from the smallest atom to the largest galaxy, at work. No amount of proof will convince someone who doesn't want to do God's will or sincerely have a relationship with him; to the believer and honest seeker, there is ample evidence--no one can disbelieve due to lack of evidence!

In glory, we shall behold Christ as He is and we shall be like Him too, able to take it in. It is said that some angels always do behold the face of God and that Gabriel "[stands] in the presence of God"; we'll have more privilege than an angel! People generally say that seeing is believing; however, believing is seeing! Don't envy those who have seen a vision or revelation, as Jesus told Thomas: "Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believed" (cf. John 20:29). Jesus rebuked the Pharisees who maintained they could see but were "blind guides," in fact, the "blind leading the blind"; think how much worse it is to think you see and be blind, or not knowing you're blind! Christ came to open our eyes and to make the blind see, and Satan has blinded the eyes of all who don't believe in Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 4:4).

Caveat: Don't reduce God to one dimension or put Him in a box, emphasizing one aspect, like seeing Him just as: the Old, Doting Grandpa who says, "Boys will be boys;" the Kind Father; the Man Upstairs; Cosmic Killjoy; the Great Spirit; the Strict, Mean Judge; the Higher Power; or even as the Great Mathematical Mind. Whenever we have an inadequate perception of God it's idolatry and our God is too small, thinking of Him in human terms. How big is your God, is just as important as seeing Him. God cannot be limited, defined, or confined, and we must know that He is beyond comprehension, known as His profundity, and we will never fully apprehend His glory, nature, or essence throughout eternity ("the finite cannot contain the infinite," says the maxim).

The eyes of our hearts are opened upon salvation and we can literally say we see and were blind, just like the blind man Jesus healed said, "I was blind, but now I see!" No one can argue the fact that we have spiritual eyes enlightened and illuminated by the Holy Spirit living in our hearts. Theologians have attempted definitions of God in vain, for He cannot be described, only known, loved, and worshiped!

It is the childish faith that seeks to know God through pictures, visions, or experiences, but the mature obedient believer clings to the Word and hears God speaking His message through it; just like Francis Schaeffer wrote: "He is there, and He is not silent!" The problem with man is not only is he blind to spiritual truth, but spiritually hard-of-hearing and turns a deaf ear to the gospel message that he does hear. Man isn't faithful to the God he does see and is without excuse. Soli Deo Gloria!

Paul's Confession Of Sin...

 From Romans 7:15ff, Paul confesses his struggle with sin in the old man or sin nature that is still alive though he is saved and has a new inner man.  He prays for deliverance from this "body of death." It sounds like he may be confessing his sin before being saved, but this is a present condition that he is admitting he has not defeated sin in his life yet; this is good and an encouragement to us who struggle.  He is confused, discouraged, frustrated, and even disgusted with himself.  He concurs that the Law is good and the right thing to do and has the impulse to accomplish all the do's and avoid all the don'ts but he finds no power to do this in his own strength.  But Paul doesn't despair because he doesn't trust in himself but the finished work of Christ on the cross and knows that there is no condemnation for those in Christ.  

It is a dilemma when you feel convicted and know the right thing to do and don't do it and feel condemned or guilty. He says that nothing good dwells in him--what a confession.  By the way, he later admits he is the chief of sinners and this is not just before salvation. What is it like when you don't meet your own expectations?  You feel like a failure!  But the fact is that we are all born this way: we are not sinners because we sin, but sin because we are sinners.  Christians are not called sinners, but they are called saints.  But that doesn't mean we are not sinners at heart and in action.  Luther said we are justified sinners or at the same time just and sinners referring to Gal. 2:17. 

The point is that our struggle with sin will last till glory and we are to grow in the battle, knowing the battle is the Lord's.  He fights for us and gives us the victory one step in faith at a time. The law of sin and death no longer applies!  All whom the Lord justifies, He sanctifies and we are all holy in His sight.  The point to see here is that when we are justified, we do not become just, especially in man's eyes, but are declared just in God's eyes.  As far as He is concerned, we are just.  We are freed from the power of sin so that we do not have to sin or be enslaved by it anymore. 

Shall we continue in sin? There were two views that were both wrongs at the time of Luther.  The Antinomians thought that since they were saved, it didn't matter if they sinned: "freed from the Law, O blessed condition; now I can sin all I want and still have remission."  They saw no obligation to live holy lives of obedience or that their lives must produce fruits worthy of repentance. The other enemy idea was that of the semi-Pelagians going back to the monk Pelagius who debated Augustine about the issue that because God expects perfection and that is the goal, we must have the inherent ability to achieve perfection.  This came to be known as entire sanctification or perfectionism in Catholic or some Arminian circles. 

We must keep our eyes on the goal of holiness and confess our known and convicted sins so as to keep short accounts.  Jeus said to be perfect even as our heavenly Father is perfect, meaning that perfection is the goal but direction is the test.  Which way are we going? Note that going nowhere is somewhere if you go that direction long enough you will get there.   For all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.   We continue pursuing God, though realizing we are not perfect and will not be till heaven. But we must remain assured that we are forgiven and not trust in our own achievement or performance but in the persona and work of Christ. 

What Does It Mean To Believe In God?

  am assuming the Christian faith and referencing the Bible and the God of the Bible: Abraham believed God and it was counted unto righteousness. By faith Abraham obeyed God. (Romans 4:3; Heb. 11:8).

You don’t just believe He exits for the demons do that. And faith without works is dead: true faith is manifested and proved by good works—you are known and rewarded by your fruit. Faith is authenticated by deeds! You believe Him and take Him at His Word, trusting Him with your heart and life. You must be willing to do His will and obey His commands; surrender to the Lordship or ownership of your life. Is Christ your Lord? Do you unashamedly confess His name and stand up for Him?

True faith entails love in the heart for we believe not just in our minds as much as in our hearts. (cf. Romans 10:9–10). Do you believe the God who is and that He is with you? You don’t have to repeat a creed every day religiously but grow in your faith by obedience. In short, trust and obey! That is the only true measure of faith. It isn’t how much you believe but how well you obey. Remember, it’s not the amount of faith but the object that matters. It must be settled solidly in Christ alone.

Also, true faith is connected with true repentance—they go hand in hand and it may not be how much you believe but how thorough your repentance is. You must grow in your faith and develop a relationship with Jesus by confession of known sin and walking in the Spirit. We learn to walk by faith, not by sight (cf. 2 Cor. 5:7). This means you need to be filled with the Spirit continually so you do not walk in the flesh and sin. This also means producing the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace…. Thus, it’s not just having a sort of faith, but having saving faith that translates your creeds into deeds!

God Works In Mysterious Ways!

"God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will." (Heb. 2:4, NIV).
"Do you know the laws of the universe? Can you use them to regulate the earth?" (Job 38:33, NLT).
"So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands" (Psalm 78:7, NLT).
"For you are great and perform wonderful deeds. You alone are God" (Psa. 86:10, NLT).
"Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me" (John 10:25, KJV).
"If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not" (John 10:37, KJV).

NOTE: IT IS SAID THAT WHEN THINGS GO BAD, BELIEVERS SAY, "GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS," AND WHEN THINGS GO GOOD, GOD IS BLESSING THEM. MAN GIVES HIMSELF GLORY FOR HIS SUCCESS BUT BLAMES GOD FOR HIS FAILURES (CF. PROV. 19:3).

"God works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform," according to William Cowper's hymn (cf. Isa. 45:15, NLT). Even in the days of Job's trials, he says, "He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles." (9:10, NLT). Note he said "countless miracles." Was Job naive or did he actually witness miracles? Even in the days of Moses, the magicians recognized the "finger of God" at work. The people of the Bible cannot be portrayed as naive, credulous, ignorant, or superstitious. They knew when God was performing a miracle because they were observers of nature and recognized God at work. For instance, when the blind man was healed, they said no one had ever healed a man born blind!

If God's miracles were everyday events, we'd call them "regulars." All events are caused by God, the Causa Prima or primary mover of all creation--He is the so-called First Cause, and the existence of motion itself proves there is a God, because one has to wonder when did the first act of motion happen, since the law of inertia says that a body at rest tends to stay at rest---it doesn't happen by itself but must be set in motion!

Jesus didn't want to be known primarily as a miracle or wonder-worker but came to be our Savior. His miracles were but signs to illustrate a teaching point about His Deity or out of compassion, not for show or personal gain, prestige, or money. He never did a biggie miracle to convince the unwilling, nor miracles on-demand or special request. That's because miracles only produce the desire for more miracles and miracles don't produce faith, faith produces miracles! Proof of this is when Jesus said in John 12:37, NIV, that "Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him." Note they "would not" not "could not!" The psalmist Asaph said in Psalm 78:32, NIV, that: "In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe."

And so God causes everything (we are the secondary agents) and miracles are but unusual events caused by God. Have you ever wondered how an immaterial thing such as a thought can affect material things such as a muscle? What causes our motion? If you want to see a miracle, look in the mirror or behold a sunset! Scientists will tell you that miracles are against the laws of nature, but if there are laws, there must be a Lawmaker who can override His own law! By definition, God is not bound by His own laws of nature! Science then cannot forbid miracles, for God is not tangible, visible, or audible and you cannot repeat, measure, observe, or put Him in a test tube or have laboratory conditions to study--He's outside the province of scientific endeavor.        

Truly, O God of Israel, Our Savior, you work in mysterious ways" (Isaiah 45:15, NLT).

"Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? (Job 4:7, KJV--Eliphaz to Job).

God brings good times as well as bad times (cf. Isaiah 45:7, NLT). "I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things." (Isaiah 45:7, ESV). God "doesn't willingly grieve or afflict the children of men" (cf. Lam. 3:33, ESV). Job questioned God's justice after his suffering and God never explained Himself to him, but only humbled him by revealing Himself to bring him to repentance. Jesus was asked if a disaster that happened was because the victims were eviler than others, but Jesus admonished them to repent lest they likewise perish. Just because someone is suffering we are not to conclude that he is being punished by God.

Job was written to partly answer why the godly suffer, but there is no complete answer to this dilemma and we are left with the challenge to trust God for who He is and His providence working for the overall good in the end (cf. Rom. 8:28). They ask why does evil happen to good people? There are no good people! The question might as well be re-phrased, "Why does good happen to evil people?" Because Jesus said that only God is good! God is the source of all good (cf. James 1:17) and evil is just the perversion, waste, and shortchanging of good, or evil under the guise of good--humanism is merely goodness without God in the equation. Yes, one might well echo the words of the famed hymn by William Cowper: "God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform."

Job was told by Zophar in Job 11:7, ESV, "'Can you find out the deep thing of God?...'" As the Latin phrase goes: "finitum non capax Infinitum." This means the finite cannot grasp or contain the infinite! The KJV asks if we canst "by searching find out God." The answer is an emphatic "No." Caveat: God is too wise to make a mistake, too kind to be cruel, and too deep to explain Himself, a sage has observed. God doesn't owe us an explanation and isn't accountable to us; contrariwise, we owe Him an explanation and are accountable to Him! We must not be armchair quarterbacks and second-guess God! We must expect trouble in this life: "Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble" (Job 14:1, ESV). "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all" (Psalm 34:19, ESV).

We must be encouraged to continue in the faith and to bear our cross, which pales in comparison with Christ's passion, for "through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God" (cf. Acts 14:22, ESV). Remember that trials, tribulations, temptations, sufferings, tests, and adversities must inevitably come; however, Christ will be with us as we pass through the waters and the fire (cf. Isaiah 42:2). "[W]e rejoice in our sufferings," according to Romans 5:3, ESV. Remember, Christ didn't exempt Himself from any type of suffering but suffered in all similar manners and yet without sin (cf. Heb. 4:15). Christ isn't asking us to do anything He didn't do Himself!

We must not ever judge victims as being somewhat less worthy, holy, or righteous than us and believe they deserve what befalls them, as if they were suffering karma or the natural consequences of evil as Job's comforters assumed of him: "As I have seen, those who plow trouble and sow iniquity reap the same" (Job 4:8, ESV). They told him that no one innocent ever perished! Their presupposition was that the only reason trouble comes is because one is not right with God; God blesses the good and punishes the evil. Their calculus was an oversimplification, for they had not reckoned God's goodness into the equation and His profundity, that we cannot figure God out or put Him into a box.

One reason evil exists is that we see good in its contrast. God works evil into good and turns the wrath of man into His glory (cf. Psalm 76:10). Why does He work with evil? Because there's so much of it to work with! God can take the most diabolical events and turn them into good results, and we must not break faith in God that He knows best and what He is doing. Look at what Joseph said, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good" (cf. Gen. 50:20). Acts 2:23, ESV, says that Jesus was "delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God." Someday Jesus will answer all our questions and we will know even as we are known (cf. John 16:23, ESV, "In that day you will ask nothing of me...."). Soli Deo Gloria!

Is Consensus In Science Scientific?

 Science taught or believed dogmatically or by a democratic vote of approval is not science. Despite the fact that biologists have a consensus for evolution, this is not necessitate it’s being truth in itself—they could all be biased or deceived or jumping to the conclusion. They must always be ready for new discoveries that may shed more light on some theory or discovery. The door must be kept open for new light to be shed on a subject. Just because scientists agree on a so-called “fact” doesn't make it true epistemologically. Note: Science is limited to the observable, measurable, and testable.

Because there are limits and parameters to what science can know or study, for instance, it follows that metaphysical questions cannot be answered fully by the scientific method. Science deals in the physical universe. But when scientists harness science for unscientific reasons like making philosophical or religious decrees, it’s not science but “scientism.” That is to say when Carl Sagan said, “The Cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be,” he was making a philosophical statement, not a scientific one. One example of consensus that proved fallacious was the geocentric Ptolemaic solar system.

What Philosophical Argument For God Is Difficult To Refute?...

Like Aristotle reasoned, the “First Cause” (Causa Prima) or the unmoved mover. According to the law of motion from Newton, an object at rest tends to stay at rest…. Who caused the first motion and got the ball rolling? Who banged the Big Bang? Nothing happens by itself but every event must be caused. Nothing causes itself. If you heard an explosion outside, you’d wonder what caused it—it didn't just happen by itself.

There can be uncaused causes but not uncaused events. Self-existence is not only possible but rationally necessary—the necessary Being. God is that uncaused cause because He is eternal and therefore had no beginning. If there was no first cause, there would be no beginning, but we know there was a big bang. What existed before the singularity? What existed before that? ad Infinitum. If you say, “It was just there, that's no different than saying God was just there.

If you say that something existed before that to cause it, it was either caused or uncaused and you only compound the question and must admit there has to be a first cause or self-existent force, being, or thing that is eternal. Science doesn’t generally accept the fact that matter is eternal or the theory of an eternal universe. This is often called the cosmological argument for God and refers to the law of cause and effect. The so-called kalam cosmological argument states that everything that begins to exist has a cause, the universe began and therefore has a cause (most believably God); also, everything in the time-space continuum has a beginning.

“For every house is built by someone; but God is the builder of all things,”(cf. Heb. 3:4). That’s why the Bible begins: “In the beginning God….” We must begin with God in the equation to remain rational. We cannot assume everything had a beginning or was caused because then there would be nothing in existence for it’s impossible to cross infinity and infinite regress is impossible—you must begin somewhere with something or someone. A was caused by B caused by C … somewhere you run out of letters.

Do You Sin Against God?

 

1. “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (cf. Romans 3:23).
2. “For there is no one who does not sin.” (cf. 1 Kings 8:46)
3. “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin,” (cf. Psalm 51:2).
4. “Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.”(cf. Eccl 7:20).
5. “Who can say, ‘I have kept my heart pure? I am clean and without sin.’” (cf. Prov, 20:9).
6. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (cf. 1 John 1:8).
7. “If we claim we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and the word is not in us,”(cf. 1 John 1:10).

Christians even sin but they are forgiven. God doesn’t call us sinners but saints. Gal. 2:17 calls us justified sinners. God doesn’t make us just but declares us so, but we are a work in progress as God continues to work in us (cf. Phi. 1:6).

I sin because I have an old sin nature inherited from Adam. We are all sinners by nature, by choice, and by birth, this is called being “in Adam.” We have inherited the sin virus from Adam. Thus everyone is in solidarity with Adam until they are saved and then possess power over sin and are not its slave it servant anymore. In sum, Christians are effectively dead to sin and liberated from its power (cf Romans 6:14) and God doesn’t hold our sins against us (cf. Psalm 32:2); we need not have any sin have dominion over us (cf. Psalm 119:133; Romans 6:14).

Why Isn't God A Myth Like Santa Claus?

 Santa Claus is a tale based on truth of a man named Saint Nicolas who actually lived. It is more of a legend that has developed progressively over time and is not immediately believed after the saint died. Jesus was immediately worshiped as God. Now, speaking of God, it’s better to speak of Jesus who claimed to be God. His story was written within two to three decades of His death with no time for legend to develop. There’s no comparison. This type of argument is a false equivalency. The apostles denied they were writing myth or fairy tale (cf. 2 Pet. 1:16). He was a historical person, not a myth with much secular corroboration.

It is written that His resurrection proves His deity (cf. Acts 17:31; Romans 1:4). Now, many people wanted Him to prove His claim, so He rose from the dead to prove it and this is arguably the most attested fact of antiquity “with many infallible proofs.” (cf Acts 1:3). Also, the fact the apostles died as martyrs and eyewitnesses is compelling evidence: people do not die for a known lie. Volumes could be written of all the circumstantial, historical. literary, legal, and testimonial evidence of this historical fact.

No one has ever successfully refuted the facts that support it like the fact of the empty tomb, over 500 eyewitnesses, the removed stone, the changing of the Sabbath, the growth of the church, the New Testament, the undisturbed graveclothes, the conversion of the apostles (especially of Paul), to the transformation of the Roman Empire from paganism and barbarianism. Christ is regarded as the central figure in Western history and civilization and not just its biggest revolutionist.

Also, just for the existence of God, there are philosophical and logical arguments and scientific evidence. One can not believe due to a lack of evidence.

If God Is Timeless, How Can He Operate In The Universe?

 God is always relative and timeless in that time is not of the essence as far as He is concerned. He is not the slave of time nor defined and confined to it as He created the time-space continuum that we are limited to and can not escape. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever and relative to all time and no time in particular. He related to us in time and has entered time for our sakes to speak to us and intervene in our affairs. Providence rules over all events, things, persons, and creatures—-creation with not even a maverick molecule or toss of the die outside His sovereignty.

Thus He orchestrates all history for His own plan and will. He beholds all time in one vision or concept without reference to any limit because He is eternal and had not begun in time but is outside time. It should be pointed out that God entered history in the person of His Son Jesus. He not only operates in the universe but controls and manipulates it to His will and purpose.