Tuesday, December 9, 2008

The Golden Rule

"But how does the Golden Rule impact apologetic engagement? It applies in that believers need to treat nonbelievers the way they want to be treated. This includes treating other people’s beliefs, viewpoints, and arguments the way you want yours to be treated... It isn’t easy to always treat another person’s views with the same care and respect that you want afforded your own. And this is especially true when the person you are dialoguing with refuses to return the favor. But it is critical that Christian apologists strive for these invaluable intellectual virtues. When non-Christians become convinced that believers in Christ prize truth and intellectual honesty above all else, then the power of the Christian apologetic witness will be greatly energized." ~ Kenneth Samples

I think Mr. Samples has hit on a very important point that we Christians often forget. We feel that it is our duty to convince others that what we believe is correct and that they should believe it too. Certainly we should be prepared to give an answer for the hope that we have (I Peter 3:15). We should certainly strive to show why our beliefs are intellectually sound and not just superstition. We should certainly seek to help others understand the hope that we have for their sake. However, we cannot lose sight of the fact that how we conduct ourselves in a debate is just as important as what we say. We must make a genuine effort to respect the position of those we disagree with and not see it merely as something to be debunked. We must genuinely listen to their position and seek to understand the central points of their argument so that they know they are respected. We must not create straw men just so we can break them down or misquote an opposing viewpoint. As Mr. Samples says above, when others see that we value truth and the other individual more than proving we are right the witness shines like a city on a hill.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Not Quite as Bad?

"Let me never forget that the heinousness of sin lies not so much in the nature of the sin committed, as in the greatness of the Person sinned against." ~ 'Humiliation', The Valley of Vision

I think this is something that we all need to be reminded of from time to time. We are constantly comparing sins to other sins in an attempt to classify them as "not quite as bad" as others. I think this leads to us misunderstanding sin and, in turn, not appreciating grace as much as we can and should. Certainly some sins have more harmful consequences than others because of how they affect our relationship with God as a Father and our fellowship with Him, however, the eternality and atrociousness of sin comes not so much from the nature of the sin itself, but from the fact that it has been committed against an infinite, holy, and eternal Being. Fortunately, from Him Christians also receive "grace upon grace" (John 1:16) through the eternal sacrifice of Jesus, the theanthropos (God-man). An eternal sacrifice atones for our sin against an eternal Being. It was this beautiful balance of understanding that led Paul exclaim, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!" (Romans 11:33). May we do the same.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Thursday, November 27, 2008

A Matter of Faith IV

“Anybody who has been seriously engaged is scientific work of any kind realizes that over the entrance to the gates of the temple of science are written the words: 'Ye must have faith.' It is a quality which the scientist cannot dispense with.” ~ Max Planck

Max Planck is one of the most important physicists in the last 200 years. He is considered to be the father of quantum theory. He has societies, institutes, and schools named after him. With the exception of Einstein, it would be difficult to find a scientist who has had more influence on modern science. I quote him here to reinforce a point I have attempted to make several times in the past. Since I have already talked about this subject quite a few times I am not going to repeat myself but rather direct you to my first, second, and third posts on this matter and hope that Planck's words reinforce what has already been said.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Friday, November 21, 2008

Racial Politics

"The idea of black politics now tilts away from leadership based on voicing grievance, and identity politics based on victimization and anger... The Jesse Jacksons, Al Sharptons and Rev. Jeremiah Wrights remain. But their influence and power fade to a form of nostalgia... The market has irrevocably shrunk for Sharpton-style tirades against 'the man' and 'the system.' The emphasis on racial threats and extortion-like demands -- all aimed at maximizing white guilt as leverage for getting government and corporate money -- has lost its moment. How does anyone waste time on racial fantasies like reparations for slavery when there is a black man who earned his way into the White House?" ~ Juan Williams, "What Obama's Victory Means for Racial Politics"

Juan Williams is news analyst for NPR, Fox, and writes for a several other news magazines. He is not one that I would often agree with politically, but I like this particular editorial. I am not one who really enjoys political arguments like some (I much prefer a theological or scientific debate) but this caught my eye because I hope what Mr. Williams is predicting pours over into reality. I agree that racial politics has often been one of attempting to maximize guilt and play the victim and it is something that has frustrated me. It is not as if all people one one side or another do this, however, the ones who talk the loudest seem to be the ones that play the victim card the most. I think that Mr. Williams' perspective on how racial politics can/should move forward is refreshing.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Sovereignty

"There are losses. We mourn. But not as those who have no hope. We vote and we lose, or we vote and we win. In either case, we win or lose as if we were not winning or losing. Our expectations and frustrations are modest. The best this world can offer is short and small. The worst it can offer has been predicted in the book of Revelation. And no vote will hold it back." ~ John Piper, "Let Christians Vote As Though They Were Not Voting"

As the voting comes to an end and the results are flowing in this statement by Piper comes to my mind. When we vote we do our civic duty as citizens of the city of the world, but as we vote we must also remember that we are citizens of the City of God (allusions from Augustine's The City of God). While the city of the world is important and we have a duty to it (Romans 13), it will pass away and the City of God will remain. We may feel we are losing in the short term, but in the long term we win--the City of God remains.

Piper's article is linked above. It is worth reading. I will leave you with this: "The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He will." (Proverbs 21:1)

By His Grace,
Taylor

Friday, October 10, 2008

Pain and the Father

"Religion is for people who want to stay out of hell. Christianity is for people who have been there." ~ Steve Brown

I do not think that Steve is talking about hell in the eternal sense here, but in a metaphorical sense. I think his point in the above quote is that we only really understand God's grace and truth when we have been through hell or are going through hell and acknowledge that it was/is hell. How you ever heard someone say, "I never ask God why, I only ask why not?" I sometimes wonder about people who say things like that. I have said things similar before, just trying to be spiritual and that is not right. I am not saying all people who say similar things do it for that reason. Some may really be at that point, I suppose, or perhaps some do it because they are trying to build an attitude of complete trust and rejoicing in Him, and I can understand that, but does trust mean we never ask "why?" or say to God "it hurts!"?

God is our Father and Jesus makes it clear in His teaching that we are to be like children when it comes to relating to God. What parent would want their child to quietly tough it out when things hurt? What parent would rather their children say "I am fine" in times of turmoil than say "I am hurting"? When children know they are loved they do not deny pain but run to the parent that loves them and cry in their arms. I am not a parent, but I believe I am not wrong when I say that this reaction is what parents would want. Is God any different? No, He is the perfect Father and like a good father He wants us to come to Him when it hurts and tell Him that we are in pain. Then, when we acknowledge that before Him, He can pour out His grace on us and heal the wound. The Psalmists knew this for 38% of the time they cried out to God with broken hearts and their words are now part of God's inspired Word. How can we presume to think we should act any differently?

By His Grace,
Taylor

Sunday, September 28, 2008

A Matter of Faith III

"Boiled down to essentials, a nervous system enables the organism to succeed in the four F's: feeding, fleeing, fighting and reproducing. The principal chore of nervous systems is to get the body parts where they should be in order that the organism may survive…. Improvements in sensorimotor control confer an evolutionary advantage: a fancier style of representing is advantageous so long as it is geared to the organism's way of life and enhances the organism's chances of survival. Truth, whatever that is, definitely takes the hindmost." ~ "Epistemology in the Age of Neuroscience", Patricia S. Churchland (emphasis Churchland's)

I like the above statement no so much because I necessarily think that if conforms to reality, but because it is a wise statement about the implications of a naturalistic evolutionary system. What Churchland points out that I agree with is from a naturalistic perspective truth "definitely takes the hindmost," i.e. naturalistic evolution does not guarantee true beliefs only beliefs that contribute to survival. This brings up a variation on the Argument from Reason, which I have written about previously here and implicitly here. From a naturalistic perspective how can one trust one's beliefs about science or one's logical reasoning that leads to one's naturalistic point of view if the process that produced one's mind does not guarantee or even "care" about truth? If it be admitted that naturalistic evolution does not care about truth then it is a self-defeating explanation in that it cannot guarantee the reliability of the reasoning processes that leads to it.

The point of all this is not so much to make an argument against naturalistic evolution, but to point out that it takes faith to believe in the theory. It takes faith to hold that naturalism (a process that cares nothing for truth) can produce trustworthy systems such as the scientific method, assumptions about the uniformity of nature governed by laws, or abstract reasoning and the laws of logic.

Evolutionists proclaim loudly that theistic belief is bankrupt and foolish, however, it would seem the proverbial shoe is on the other foot. From a theistic perspective one can be consistent in one's beliefs and say that one trusts one's reasoning because that reasoning ability has been endowed by an intelligent designer. From an atheistic perspective one cannot be consistent in one's belief because the very reasoning processes that produce those beliefs are products of an untrustworthy process.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Sunday, September 14, 2008

The Triune God

Heavenly Father, blessed Son, eternal Spirit,
  I adore Thee as one Being, one Essence,
  one God in three distinct Persons,
  for bringing sinners to Thy knowledge and to Thy kingdom.
O Father, Thou hast loved me and sent Jesus to redeem me;
O Jesus, Thou hast loved me and assumed my nature,
  shed thine own blood to wash away my sins,
  wrought righteousness to cover my unworthiness;
O Holy Spirit, Thou hast loved me and entered
  my heart, implanted there eternal life,
  revealed to me the glories of Jesus.
  Three Persons and one God, I bless and praise Thee,
  for love so unmerited, so unspeakable,
  so wondrous, so mighty to save the lost
  and raise them to glory.

O Father, I thank Thee that in fullness of grace
  Thou hast given me to Jesus, to be His sheep,
  jewel, portion;
O Jesus, I thank Thee that in fullness of grace
  Thou hast accepted, espoused, bound me;
O Holy Spirit, I thank Thee that in fullness of grace
  Thou hast exhibited Jesus as my salvation,
  implanted faith within me,
  subdued my stubborn heart,
  made me one with Him for ever.
O Father, Thou art enthroned to hear my prayers,
O Jesus, Thy hand is outstretched to take my petitions,
O Holy Spirit, Thou art willing to help my
  infirmities, to show me my need,
  to supply words, to pray within me,
  to strengthen me that I faint not in
  supplication.

O Triune God, who commandeth the universe,
  Thou hast commanded me to ask for those
  things that concern Thy kingdom and my soul.
  Let me live and pray as one baptized into the
  threefold Name.

The Trinity, "The Valley of Vision"

Enough said...

By His Grace,
Taylor

Thursday, September 4, 2008

It is Hard to Hug a Stiff Kid

"It is hard to hug a stiff kid... It is easier to hug a dirty kid." ~ Steve Brown

Steve used this analogy when talking about prayer. He was pointing out that a lot of us avoid coming to God in prayer because we think we are not good enough or think that we need to get it together and then come to God in prayer. It is the "God helps those who help themselves" mentality. What he is pointing out here is that God does not expect us to have it all together when we come to Him, actually He knows it is the opposite and wants us to realize that. What actually keeps us distant from God is not our sin, but our self righteousness (or a desire for it) that stiffens us.

I am not a hugger, anyone who knows me knows that and knows that when they try to hug me it is probably a pain because I stiffen up. Think of what it is like when we come to God that way, trying to be strong and righteous. When we are stiff like the the brother of the prodigal son (Luke 15:25-32) we cannot accept the Father's love for us as His children, we feel like we have to earn it. But when we come to God, dirty and knowing that we are not "worthy to be called [His] son" (Luke 15:21) that is when He can kill the fattened calf for us, clean us, put a robe on our backs and a ring on our finger and say, "this son of mine was dead and is alive again" (Luke 15:24). It is when we know we are dirty and recognize that we are not even worthy to be a servant in His house that we, ironically, find out what it means to be His child. It is easier to hug a dirty kid.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Monday, August 18, 2008

Knowing God

"The width of our knowledge about [God] is no gauge of the depth of our knowledge of Him." ~ J.I. Packer, Knowing God Through the Year

Packer makes a great point here. Knowledge of God is vitally important (and Packer is not denying this at all) because without it we cannot love God with all our minds (Mark 12:30). We cannot truly worship God if we do not know Him and the glory of His perfections. However, having pure knowledge about God is not knowing Him. If we do not love God with all our hearts and souls (Mark 12:30) we do not really know Him. We can have every commentary and systematic theology book memorized, but if that mental knowledge does not take root deep in the heart then we do not truly know Him.

God interacted with humanity in a very personal way. The second Person in the Trinity, the very Image of the Father, condescended to personally deal with us, struggle with us, and struggle for us. How much more personal can the invitation be? The God who has dealt so personally with us cannot be truly known by raw data but must also be dealt with personally as He opens up to us and as He opens us up to Himself. Our dealings with Him should be as our dealings with any other person we want to know well. I can know many facts about my wife, there are some who may know as many facts as I do, but I believe I can confidently say few (if any) have the depth of knowledge of her that I do because I live with her, interact with her throughout the day, glory with her, and struggle with her (the reverse is also of course true).

May we pray as Augustine prayed in Confessions, "Let me know Thee, O my Knower; let me know Thee as I am known."

By His Grace,
Taylor

Monday, August 4, 2008

Do Not Forget the Pigs

"Don't forget the pigs... the further they get away the better they start looking... Always remember where He found you, don't forget the pigs... Don't forget the party and Who threw it for you... Remember what He is like, He is not like they told you... Don't forget when the party's over, tomorrow you have to go back to the field... When you have dirt under your fingernails, when you think you can't do it anymore, when you're really really tired think about the party. Someday when we get home we are going to have the party of all parties." ~ Steve Brown, A Word To The Boys From The Old Guy

If you have never listened to Steve Brown preach you are missing out. He will shock you and possibly offend you, but he will also remind you in a beautiful way of sweetness of the grace of God because that is all he preaches and he does it well. He preached recently at Perimeter on the prodigal son and I loved the above quote.

All to often we are prone to forget the pigs. When things start going our way and life is good we forget where He found us and how He took us from the pigs to the party. We forget how horrible it felt to be empty even though we had everything that we thought we wanted. We forget Who was the only Person Who did not leave us when we hit rock bottom and that is dangerous. When we forget the pigs, as Steve says, they start to not look so bad.

We cannot forget the party either because not only did He save us from the pigs but He gave us a place of honor. We are co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). He killed the fattened calf for us and rejoiced when the lost sheep was found (Matthew 18:13). He could have made us a slave in His house, as the prodigal son thought would happen, for we did not even deserve that much, but He did not. He threw a party (incredible grace).

Finally, do not forget that the there is work to be done. We have to come down the mountain (Luke 9:28-36). When we do and work in the field doing the work He has prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10) we cannot forget the "party of parties" that is to come (Revelation 5:9-14). When we get dirty under our fingernails and we are tired we cannot forget the party that is to come.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Sojourners

"The way to Heaven is ascending; we must be content to travel uphill, though it be hard and tiresome, and contrary to the natural bias of our flesh." ~ Jonathan Edwards, “The Christian Pilgrim

I love this quote because Edwards reminds us that we cannot expect that our pilgrimage through this world to be easy. This world hates those who follow Christ (John 15:19) and, as we have seen in the lives of Christ and the apostles, it does not make the journey easy. However, two things God has shown us can encourage us in this. First, we are not alone in our battle for we are promised that "he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion" (Phil. 1:6) and "it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose" (Phil. 2:13). Second, there is a great prize at the end (I Cor. 9:24), which is Christ. This prize is so great that to die is gain, as Paul reminds us (Phil. 1:21).

It is hard, but worth it. As Edwards reminds us later, "How can you better employ your strength, use your means, and spend your days, than in traveling the road that leads to the everlasting enjoyment of God: to his glorious presence, to the new Jerusalem, to the heavenly mount Zion, where all your desires will be filled and no danger of ever losing your happiness? — No man is at home in this world, whether he choose heaven or not: here he is but a transient person. Where can you choose your home better than in heaven?"

By His Grace,
Taylor

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

"Tolerance"

"...they have mangled the word 'tolerance' to a degree that is unrecognizable. The first sentence says, 'Americans of every religious stripe are considerably more tolerant of the beliefs of others than most of us might have assumed'. If one were to use the word 'tolerance' correctly it would mean that you would affirm that while you stridently disagree with another person's belief, yet you would defend that person's right to hold that belief, without using some coercive force to change him. It means liberty of conscience. But the way these reporters are using the term makes tolerance itself into a dogma. That is, you HAVE TO believe that all religions are equally right, or you are a bigot." ~ John Hendryx, Evangelical Christians "more tolerant" than Previously Thought (italics mine)

The article that Mr. Hendryx is citing can be found here. I completely agree with the above statement. The word "tolerant" has been twisted to dogmatically mean "you have to believe that none of your beliefs are exclusively true or you are a bigot." How is this "tolerant"? Really this is just doctrine of convincing yourself that there are no doctrines and everyone should be just like you. This is really a very intolerant view, for those who hold it are saying that everyone should be just like them (which usually means dogmatically believing that those who hold to dogmas strongly are bigots), while pretending to be neutral. It is not, however, neutral but it just as exclusive as Christianity, if not more. Under this new definition of tolerance you must exclusively believe that all religions are right to be "tolerant". It is a dogma wrapped in lip service to neutrality.

I agree with Mr. Hendryx, to be truly tolerant one would have beliefs that they hold (as strongly as they wish to hold them), yet also defend the right of another person to disagree with them. I believe it would also include defending the rights of all religions to respectfully attempt to show others why they believe they are correct. The Westminster Confession holds to this kind of tolerance: "It is the duty of civil magistrates to protect the person and good name of all their people, in such an effectual manner as that no person be suffered, either upon pretense of religion or of infidelity, to offer any indignity, violence, abuse, or injury to any other person whatsoever: and to take order, that all religious and ecclesiastical assemblies be held without molestation or disturbance." (23.3)

Tolerance is not holding that everyone should believe that everything is right (which is really just believing in nothing) but holding that everyone has the right to believe what they choose as strongly as they choose without "molestation or disturbance".

By His Grace,
Taylor

Monday, July 7, 2008

Expectations

"We should not expect a 'fair fight' in a secular world that is hostile to God and uncomfortable around the truth of Christ. Therefore, our response to abuse or distortion or slander should not be angry resentment, but patient witness to the truth, in the hope and with the prayer that returning good for evil may open hearts to the truth." ~ John Piper, Tolerance, Truth-Telling, Violence, and Law

This is something I have to remind myself of often when I am frustrated with a politician, writer, journalist, or anyone else who seems to have an overwhelming hatred for Christians. I find myself shocked at times by what I read, hear, or have said to me, but then when I am by myself and really think about it I ask, "Why does this shock you? Christ told you this is what you should expect (Matt. 10:22)."

When I really think about it that way it makes me also think about where I came from. Were it not for grace and God's work of salvation in me, which is "of the LORD" (Jonah 2:9) from start to finish, my heart would harbor that hatred as well. It is not as if I did something to change my heart. Stepping back and thinking about it that way makes it easier to respond with patience and "witness to the truth" though I still am not very good at that. Fortunately grace is not finished (Phil. 1:6).

By His Grace,
Taylor

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Mentors

"...Throughout this conversation the older man maintained a voice tender and solicitous with love. Nothing Alexandros could do would ever make this voice love him less or abandon him. Such is the peculiar genius of the Spartan system of pairing each boy in training with a mentor other than his own father. A mentor may say things that a father cannot; a boy can confess to his mentor that which would bring shame to reveal to his father." ~ Xeones, Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield

If you like historical fiction, particularly ancient history, I would highly recommend this book, but that is not the point of the quote. I like how the character, Xeones, points out the wisdom of using mentors in the Spartan system. I think our society could gain from such wisdom. A mentor cannot replace a father or mother and certainly cannot diminish the necessity of a father or mother in the life of a young person, but a mentor can greatly augment the growth of a young man or woman. Some things are easier when received from a mentor than from a parent. Some things are easier to say to a mentor than to a parent. A parent has to focus on a wide range of child rearing responsibilities while a mentor can focus on special potential in a young person. The admiration of a mentor empowers a young person in a way that family cannot as much because this man/woman looked in from the outside noticed you out of any number of young people and believes in you when others might miss your potential. This simple kind of involvement can do wonders in the esteem and growth of a young person. Look, for example, at what Paul did for Timothy in I and II Timothy.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Theological Basis of Science

“I see no reason for believing that one accident should be able to give me a correct account of all the other accidents. It’s like expecting that the accidental shape taken by the splash when you upset a milk-jug should give you a correct account of how the jug was made and why it was upset.” ~ C. S. Lewis, God in the Dock

I have pointed this out in a few previous posts, but when I ran across such a poignant quote I decided to share it and reiterate a very important philosophical point when it comes to a naturalistic world view. According to this view, the world is a product of blind, purposeless processes. We, our logic, and our reason are then the final result of an accident. If this is true how then do we account for such things as the scientific method, universal laws of physics, or abstract reasoning and the laws of logic? If our minds are the product of an accident how do we expect that they should be able to accurately comprehend the accident? How can we have any sort of confidence in our reasoning processes if the mind is a mere accident of nature?

There has been a lot of argument about the basis of science in the modern era. The naturalistic scientist would like to assume that theology has nothing to do with science, but as authors like Alister McGrath and Michael Bumbulls show, science was birthed in a theological world view. As evolutionist Paul Davies points out, "the most atheistic scientist accepts as an act of faith that the universe is not absurd... So science can proceed only if the scientist adopts an essentially theological worldview."

By His Grace,
Taylor

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Covenant of Grace

"[A covenant is] a gratuitous pact between God offended and man the offender, entered into in Christ, in which God promises to man freely on account Christ remission of sins and salvation, and man relying on the same grace promises faith and obedience." ~ Francis Turretin, Institutes of Elenctic Theology 2:175

I really like this definition of the covenant of grace between God and man. It points out that it is a relationship under sanction between God and man. It also makes it clear that the author of this covenant is God, man is a participant because of his state, and Christ is the fulfillment of the covenant. Finally, I like how Turretin states man's position in the covenant, "man relying on the same grace promises faith and obedience." Those are key words, "relying on the same grace," for they show that even our faith is because of grace. As Paul says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9, emphasis mine)

What a beautiful thought, the covenant of grace--the thought that God "the offended" would offer a means of redemption to "the offender" and even provide to the offender what is necessary to complete the covenant. How majestic is a God that would not only make a covenant of grace with His creatures (an immanence which in itself is incredible) but also, knowing the inability of His creatures, unconditionally and effectually assures faith for His chosen through the same grace! Immanence, provision, and assurance in one grace. It is this grace that prompted Paul to herald, "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God... To him be the glory forever! Amen." (Romans 11:33-36)

By His Grace,
Taylor

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

All Truth, God's Truth

"Therefore, in reading profane authors, the admirable light of truth displayed in them should remind us, that the human mind, however much fallen and perverted from its original integrity, is still adorned and invested with admirable gifts from its Creator. If we reflect that the Spirit of God is the only fountain of truth, we will be careful, as we would avoid offering insult to him, not to reject or condemn truth wherever it appears... Shall we deny the possession of intellect to those who drew up rules for discourse, and taught us to speak in accordance with reason? Shall we say that those who, by the cultivation of the medical art, expended their industry in our behalf were only raving?... But shall we deem anything to be noble and praiseworthy, without tracing it to the hand of God? Far from us be such ingratitude..." John Calvin, The Institutes of Christian Religion, Book II, Chapter II

I have heard it said that truth can only come from the Bible. There is a great misconception that sola scriptura means that the Bible is the only source of truth. This is a very dangerous misconception. Sola scriptura holds that the Bible is the ultimate source of truth, but God's image is not so marred in mankind that it cannot discover some truth through general revelation or common grace. (Certainly redemptive truths must come from special revelation, which in most Protestant traditions amounts to the Bible.) Indeed, we should not accept everything without discrimination that men "discover" through general revelation, but to deny that any truth can be discovered this way is to, as Calvin says, "insult the Giver" by "despising the gifts."

As Christians we should be the first to herald truth wherever we find it, but we should also "test everything" (I Thessalonians 5:21) as Paul says. When we find truth we should also be the first to turn praise back to God because it is from Him.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Thursday, May 29, 2008

True Joy

"Forbid it, O Lord, put it far from the heart of Thy servant, who confesses to Thee--far be it from me to think I am happy because of any and all the joy I have. For there is a joy not granted to the wicked but only to those who worship Thee thankfully--and this joy Thou Thyself art. The happy life is this--to rejoice to Thee, in Thee, and for Thee. This it is and there is no other." ~ Augustine, Confessions, Book 10 Chapter 22 (emphasis mine)

If you have not read Augustine, you should. Confessions is a great place to start. It is the nostalgic confession of God's glory from an old, mature Christian looking back on his life. He sees himself as the prodigal son coming home and it is a beautiful description of a man who tried it all finding that his greatest joy is Christ.

We are created for by Him, through Him, and to Him. What other joy could be greater than Him? When one has a purpose and it is written on one's soul one cannot find true happiness until one starts living for that purpose. Sure we can find pseudo-joys that last for a short time, but they are not true joys that inspire the soul and overflow the heart. We can keep busy to keep our minds off of this, but sooner or later life will slow down, we will be forced to reflect, and the comfort of all these other pseudo-joys will leave us because they cannot truly stimulate the soul. They are not Him. We cannot be satisfied by these pseudo-joys but we are often fooled into thinking we can. That is Augustine's prayer--that God will not let him be fooled into thinking something else can satisfy him.

This is not often my prayer, though it should be. I write it here hoping that this will somehow begin to solidify in my mind. I wonder what would happen in my life if I woke up every morning and prayed that prayer...

By His Grace,
Taylor

Monday, May 26, 2008

A Matter of Faith II

"What Dawkins and other true believers in Darwinism cannot explain is how their faith will lead to a better world in any way. Their philosophy is an ugly negation of other people's faith, not because they themselves are beyond faith, but because they are so sure their faith is true they believe it justifies any action they take in order to assure the triumph of their beliefs over all others." ~ Orson Scott Card

The above quote was taken from an article by Orson Scott Card discussing the documentary Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. The documentary was quite good, for the most part, and I would recommend that you see it whether you hold to Intelligent Design (ID) or Darwinian evolution.

What I think is wise from the above quote is that Card points out something that Darwinian theorists and atheists constantly deny, that they have faith as those who believe in religion. Sure their faith is not in a Higher Being, but they have faith that the Laws of Physics are truly consistent and rational. They have faith that random events created rational minds able to truly understand the Laws of Physics. They have faith that mechanical causation somehow brought about organic life in some fashion ("on the backs of crystals" as is claimed by Darwinists in Expelled). They have faith that science will somehow discover how matter came into existence in the first place, "science is working on it" according to Richard Dawkins. They have faith that they have Darwinian evolution has makes its "no longer necessary to believe in God." They have faith that God does not exist.

The faith is certainly there. Some Darwinists and atheists are willing to admit it, most are not. Let us hope that the influence of those who are honest about their faith with spread to those who are unwilling to admit it.

Will their faith lead to a better world? Expelled shows that their faith leads to a world of academic orthodoxy that one must adhere to or face punishment by the dominating regime. It does not appear to be leading to a better world in the realm of science. What makes us think it will have positive ramifications in other arenas?

By His Grace,
Taylor

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Meaningless or Meaningful?

"If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning." ~ C. S. Lewis

I like this statement from Lewis (found in Mere Christianity). It shows how nihilism is ultimately self-defeating. How could a meaningless creature in a meaningless existence come to such a meaningful conclusion that life has no meaning? Meaningless creatures would never be able to discover the truth of their own meaninglessness. Lewis's analogy demonstrates this well. The fact that one can come to such a conclusion shows that there is something fundamentally wrong with such a philosophy.

I think this also should make one seriously think about the existence of an Ultimate Being. If life is an accident, the product of random events, then it surely would be without meaning and we would have no fundamental basis for the logic necessary to make such a conclusion (see my post A Matter of Faith). Yet, we can make such a conclusion. I believe this points to the belief that life is not random but has fundamentals, which, if traced backward, must have been established by a Self-Sustaining, Ultimate Fundamental.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Incomplete II

"One would need to possess complete knowledge and understanding about every complexity of a phenomenon before one could settle upon a unique and exhaustively complete explanation of every detail of the phenomenon. Since only God is omniscient, such an explanation will forever remain beyond the bounds of human knowledge. Another way to put it is that only God possesses absolute proof." ~ Hugh Ross

A few posts ago I presented a quote from John Frame about the limitations of logic. The above quote from Hugh Ross of Reasons to Believe expresses a similar sentiment. The fact that only God possesses absolute proof and the knowledge necessary to create a flawless logical systems or models should humble us. We, and I am guilty of this often, often think we will eventually be able to prove anything absolutely whether it be scientific or theological, but that will never be the case. Our knowledge will never be complete and therefore our proofs will never be either. This does not mean we should pursue knowledge through various disciplines, but it does mean that we should kneel in humility before an Absolute God and be teachable so that we do not pridefully overlook our limitations.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Friday, May 2, 2008

The Supremacy of Christ

"We preach Christ and Him crucified because it is He and He alone who is our hope. All that we have is from His hands… what good things do we have that we did not receive from Christ? As this distinctive regards salvation, consider, what makes someone differ from another? Does Christ ALONE make you to differ from your neighbor, or is it Christ plus something else, such as your "good will" that generates a right thought?... Humility is not something that springs from our unregenerate human nature. Only Christ can change that. It is only by grace alone in Christ alone that we have life, this is THE central difference between biblical Calvinism and all other synergistic forms of Christianity." ~ John Hendryx

I like this summary of the core difference between Reformed theology and other theological traditions. Some think that the core of Reformed theology is predestination or God's absolute sovereignty. Those are certainly large points in Reformed theology, but as Hendryx says they are "central but not THE center." The supremacy of Christ is the center to its dogma and that sets Reformed theology apart from other theological traditions. Other traditions may place Christ at the center, but I would argue that they often place something else, like man, their with Him.

May Christ always be in the center alone for "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." ~ Philippians 2:10-11

By His Grace,
Taylor

Saturday, April 19, 2008

No Intelligence Allowed

"...differences over the development of life, unlike other disputes, spark so much controversy because the collateral stakes are higher than they seem. Where you stand on the origins question often influences your worldview on issues of human life, ranging from cloning to euthanasia." ~ Bruce Chapman

With "Expelled" coming out this weekend I thought this would be a good quote to talk about. It is true that our beliefs on the origins of life greatly affect our opinions on human life. I heard a good example of how evolutionary thought affects society in a song on the radio. Nickleback has recently released a song called "Animals" where the chorus says:
No, we're never gonna quit
Ain't nothing wrong with it
Just acting like we're animals
No, no matter where we go
'Cause everybody knows
We're just a couple of animals
What does it matter if we are immoral when we are all really just animals? For some time abortion was rationalized because it was believed that the fetus goes throw an evolutionary process in the womb. If that is the case why should it matter if we kill it while in a non-human stage? We put down animals when they are old and sick, why not the same with humans if we really are just animals?

Our views on origins of life do matter and affect the way we look at all of human life, even if we do not know it. If we are designed, intentional creatures; not products of purposeless, random events; then we have intrinsic value and reason to fight for human life. If not, then we might as well just act "like we're animals."

By His Grace,
Taylor

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Fullness of the Faith

"No particular denominational body can encompass all the richness and completeness of the broad historic Christian faith. The various denominations reflect a collage of God’s redeemed people... The Holy Spirit and the truth of Scripture are not the exclusive property of any one denomination within Christendom’s vast domain. Therefore Christians of various traditions have both common elements as well as distinctive features to share with their brothers and sisters in Christ in other denominations." ~ Kenneth Samples

I must first say that I stole the title from Mr. Samples' article (click on the title to see his article). I took it because I think that there is wisdom in thinking of denominations in such a fashion.

Many evangelicals today focus purely on the drawbacks to the many denominations that exist today. To be certain, there are many drawbacks, but denominations also provide a great service. One thing that often comes to my mind, which Mr. Samples points out later in his article, is that they provide a type of theological peer review. If we were all one denomination and all shared one creed on every theological issue we could very easily begin to exalt said creed as authoritative instead of Scripture and slip into heresy. With peers to critique our theology and offer a different perspective or interpretation we are (should be) brought back the Scripture to examine their beliefs and our own. Protestants who focus only on the drawbacks to denominations might want to consider what the Church would look like today if men like Martin Luther, John Calvin, or Ulrich Zwingli had not broken from the Roman Catholic Church and created a type of denomination.

Do we go overboard today? Yes, I believe we do. This, to me, is all the more reason to stop widening the gap by focusing on the drawbacks, stop disavowing all denominations (which is actually not possible), and start closing the gap by forming relationships with others from other denominations that can sharpen us in our Christian lives.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Friday, April 4, 2008

To Read the Old or the New?

"...if he must read only the new or only the old [Christian works], I would advise him to read the old... he is an amateur and therefore much less protected than the expert against the dangers of an exclusive contemporary diet... It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between... We all... need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period... None of us can fully escape this blindness..." ~ C. S. Lewis

I think this is very wise advise. We are all, in one way or another, a product of our age and therefore have similar blind spots which lead to similar mistakes. When we read a work from a different culture and a different time we can finally, in various ways, step outside of our cultural biases and see truth from another perspective. Indeed other ages had their own biases, but they are in at least some ways different from our own. They may have missed things we can see clearly, but they may also see things clearly that we miss and this is vitally important if we desire to glorify God in wisdom and truth. A diverse diet of old and new Christian works can give us brief glimpses of our biases and can reveal truth to which we may be blind if left to our own reason.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Friday, March 28, 2008

A Matter of Faith

"All science proceeds on the assumption that nature is ordered in a rational and intelligible way. You couldn’t be a scientist if you thought the universe was a meaningless jumble of odds and ends haphazardly juxtaposed... to be a scientist, you had to have faith that the universe is governed by dependable, immutable, absolute, universal, mathematical laws of an unspecified origin." ~ Paul Davies

What a profound statement from someone who is so anti-theistic. It is amazing in this age to see a naturalistic scientist admit that science, at its very foundation, must be taken on faith but he is absolutely right. Science proceeds on the assumption that the universe is governed by rational laws, yet when you follow reason back to the very foundation of science, the laws of physics, reason abandons you for within a naturalistic framework there is no rational explanation for why these laws can be rational. The laws of physics are considered a "given" that "just appeared" at the formation of the universe. Random occurrences cannot explain the rational bedrock that science uses to reason everything else. The Argument from Reason points out that naturalism cannot provide an adequate explanation of why we trust that the universe is governed by rational laws and why we trust that we have the mental capacity to discover and understand said laws.

So science and religion are not mutually exclusive spheres as some would like to believe. Religion does take faith, but I and many others believe that there is scientific, historical, archaeological, and philosophical evidence that makes this leap of faith not quite as large as atheists would have us believe. Atheists and naturalistic science also take leaps of faith but very few can admit it like Davies does. That is a start.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Monday, March 24, 2008

Incomplete

"[Logical systems] are fallible systems, human systems. They may not be equated with the mind of God. God's logic is divine; human logic is not." ~ John Frame, The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God

I think it would do all of us good to remember this very important fact. We humans are so proud of what we have accomplished and what we can do, which is not in itself wrong, but we begin to become over confident and think that "science and reason [logic] can accomplish everything" which is arrogant of us to believe. We have very incomplete knowledge of our universe, not to mention our incomplete knowledge of the spiritual realm. We do not know what we do not know. By that I mean that we cannot begin to take into consideration situations, circumstances, and environments we do not even know exist, so how can we possibly claim that science and reason/logic can accomplish everything? Science is constantly being revised because of newly discovered data and refined techniques. Einstein trumps Newton and now even Einstein is being questioned.

God's logic/reasoning systems, however, are of a different nature. God, by definition, is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He is also the only Being with complete knowledge of all things. Complete knowledge coupled with a perfect Mind leads to complete, perfect, and divine systems.

We need to search, study, and investigate, but we need to also acknowledge our limitations before a limitless God.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Messy, Yet Hopeful

"We are messy, in need, prideful and do stupid things, but we are followers of the One who heals us." ~ Perimeter Church Bulletin Message

We are often messy, prideful, and hypocritical. But what is the Church if not a refuge for human beings that know they are in desperate of a savior? The story, however, does not end there.

Today is Easter, the day that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Today, above all other days, we are reminded that our debt has been paid and that we are united with Christ in His resurrection. The Image Absolute is recreating the image of God in us daily through sanctification. So we may fail but we are getting better because of "the One who heals" and we have the assurance that "He who began a good work in [us] will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6)

Happy Easter

By His Grace,
Taylor

Saturday, March 22, 2008

What will future generations think?

“...future generations will wonder in bemused amazement that the early 21st century’s developed world went into hysterical panic over a globally averaged temperature increase of a few tenths of a degree, and, on the basis of gross exaggerations of highly uncertain computer projections combined into implausible chains of inference, proceeded to contemplate a roll-back of the industrial age.” ~ Dr. Richard Lindzen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

What will future generations think? Will they look back on us and think "Why did they over react when their evidence was not very conclusive?" I think we often times bite too fast without stopping and considering the agenda of our sources.

There is definitely something to be said for responsibly stewarding the earth God has blessed us with, but to err to a degree of mass hysteria is not responsible. Yes, we should take care of this planet while we subdue it. However, just because someone claims to be working for the sake of the earth does not mean they do not have other motives. Remember that the global warming lobbyists are exactly that, lobbyists, i.e. people who make their living by making a big deal about something. At times their causes are worthy and many probably do have good intentions. However, we must remember that when the lobbyists have nothing to lobby for they are out of a job. Sure oil companies are going to protect their interests, but lobbyists are too and if they can cause a panic they create job security for themselves.

Do your own research, do not just listen to what the media has to say. Read the scientists, not the media, which at times reports unconfirmed research.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Sign Posts vs. The Road

"The writings of all holy fathers should be read only for a time, in order that through them we may be led to the Holy Scriptures. As it is, however, we read them only to be absorbed in them and never come to the Scriptures. We are like men who study the sign posts and never travel the road." ~ Martin Luther, Open Letter to The Christian Nobility

How true is this, especially of us today when we can find a Christian book on any subject? We, at least I know this to be true of myself, are constantly reading Christian writings, which is all well and good; but the only true, life-giving fountain comes from the Word of God. It would do us good to turn to it much more often than we turn to uninspired Christian works.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Friday, March 7, 2008

Blessed Self-Forgetfulness

"Humility is not thinking less of ourselves, it is thinking of ourselves less." ~ C. S. Lewis

This is a truth that I think is missed so often by almost everyone (though that is a grouse generalization, I know). I think we often think that the opposite of pride is self-abasing. This is not humility. Thinking about how lowly we are is just another way of putting ourselves at the center when it is God that should be at the center.

Paul gives us the key to humility I Corinthians 4:3-4 "I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself... It is the Lord who judges me." Paul's identity is not tied to human thought, not even his own. His identity is tied to God's judgment. If you are a Christian then God has judged you perfect because of the righteousness of Christ. So we need to stop judging ourselves completely, for good or for bad. We need to think of ourselves less. This is "blessed self-forgetfulness," as Tim Keller puts it.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Rest in Him

"Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee." ~ Augustine, Confessions - Book I, Chapter I

This is one of my favorite lines by any author of all time. This is the beauty of redemption. God made us for Himself, we are for Him and His glory (Isaiah 43:7, 21; Isaiah 63:12; Colossians 1:16; Psalm 106:8; Ezekiel 36:22-23). What then can bring us greater peace than doing what we were created to do? How can our souls possibly be truly satisfied by anything besides their very purpose for being? They cannot, and Augustine knew this. It is only in Christ that our souls can rest and find satisfaction. The Apostle Paul began almost every one of his epistles with "grace and peace to you." Why? Grace and peace come hand in hand. When we rest in His grace peace comes naturally for He is the God of peace.

"'...in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.'" ~ John 16:33, ESV
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." ~ Romans 5:1, ESV
"For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility..." ~ Ephesians 2:14, ESV

By His Grace,
Taylor

The purpose of this blog

"How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver!" ~ Proverbs 16:16

"A short saying often contains much wisdom." ~ Sophocles

Indeed, wisdom is more valuable than any earthly possession and much wisdom can be found in few words. With this blog I endeavor to pass on not my wisdom, since it would only take one post and a short one at that, but the wisdom of others as I discover it. I will often add comments to the quote that I post and I invite comments from others so that we might unpack the wisdom in these "short sayings."

I believe that wisdom and truth can be found in many places so the quotes I post will come from many resources. However, I also believe that wisdom and truth must always be evaluated with respect to the ultimate guide for wisdom and truth, God's Word, so I will endeavor to comment in such a fashion.

I do not want to start blogging wars with the things I post because those are rarely productive, but I do want people to comment if they agree or disagree so that we all benefit from different perspectives. I do not publish comments that attempt to promote or advertise for anything. I also do not publish comments that contain profanity.

By His Grace,
Taylor