How to Know When Jesus Will Return

I Can Hear it Now

“So… Ben, you know when Jesus is retuning? That’s pretty impressive considering that not even Jesus knows the day or the hour of his return according to Matthew 24:36.”

Ok, I’ll call uncle on this one. I don’t know the day or the hour when Jesus will return. However, I do know the main factor that is keeping Jesus from returning right now. Look at 2 Peter 3.

2 Peter 3

1 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Ha! Calvinism Defeated! …Right?

See, verse 9, “…not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” Calvinism teaches that God predestines some to be saved and the rest will perish, but if God doesn’t wish that any should perish then Calvinism must not be true, right? Not so fast. We need to put this verse into context. Let’s break down verses 1-13 into an outline.

1. Scoffers will claim that Jesus is not going to return because it has taken so long (v. 4).
2. They deliberately overlook the great flood where God destroyed the earth with water (v. 5-6).
3. Similarly, the world will be destroyed again, but this time with fire instead of water (v. 7)
4. God’s time is not man’s time (v. 8a).
5. God’s apparent slowness is actually patience towards “you” (v. 8b).
6. When Jesus returns, the fire of God will consume the earth and everyone on it whose works are evil (v. 10).
7. Therefore wait with patience and holiness (v 11-13).

So the overall effect of this passage is to state that the delay in Jesus returning is not due to God’s slowness in fulfilling his promises, but rather due to his unwillingness to allow certain people to perish (namely, his elect). I can easily see someone objecting to me inserting the idea of the elect into this passage, but I think that it is truly a necessary implication. If Jesus is truly not wishing that any should perish (not a single person), then why is this tied into Jesus’ second coming? Whenever Jesus returns, we know for certain from the Bible that many will perish. If Jesus is delaying the second coming to prevent any people from perishing, he will have to simply never return. Therefore the “you” of verse 9 must refer not to the entire human race but to a select group whom God refuses to destroy. We know biblically that this must be the elect.

Why Has it Taken 2000 Years?

The answer is simple: the elect are not gathered yet. If Jesus were to return right now multiplied millions of those who were destined to eventually repent and trust in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins would be destroyed by the fires of judgment before they reach repentance. God is faithful and does not wish that his elect should perish and therefore Jesus still waits to this day. In Biblical end-times prophesy, Jesus is portrayed as a bridegroom and the church as his bride. We can look ahead to the great wedding feast that will occur immediately after Jesus returns, but at our point in history, Jesus is not a husband to the church but a fiancé. I remember the days of my own engagement to my wife, and how difficult and painful the wait for our wedding day was. Jesus however has been waiting for 2000 years. Thank God for his patience! If he had returned a year of two after he ascended to heaven, imagine how many would have perished in smoke! Don’t scoff at the return of Jesus or consider it to be indefinitely far off. One glorious day, the fullness of the elect will be gathered and Jesus will not hesitate to return in glory and set everything right. He will destroy his enemies and marry his church.

5 Classic Bible Twists (And How To Correct Them)

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

The Wrong Application: God loves you and has an adventurous plan for your life. Quit living the same-old boring life of just going to church, and go do something great for God.

The Problem: If you zoom out and look at this verse in context, you see the background. Look at verse 4: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon…” These verse are not written about you. They are written about the Jews during the exile in Babylon and thus when God says that he knows the plans he has for “you” he was not speaking about the general reader of the book of Jeremiah.

The Right Application: God disciplines his covenant people when they engage in idolatry by delivering them into the hands of their enemies, yet faithfully promises to rescue them according to his predestined plans to bring them to repentance and bless them by grace.

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

The Wrong Application: Your marriage, your finances, your relationships, your children, your health and everything else in your life may be ok, but couldn’t it all stand to be a lot better? The enemy wants you to give up and give in to just living the normal life, but God doesn’t want you to be mediocre. He wants to give you life abundantly. By applying biblical principles to our lives we can learn from Jesus how to quit being average and live the abundant life God has for us.

The Problem: With Jeremiah 29:11 we saw that the context and the audience make a big difference when it comes to biblical interpretation. Based on the wrong application above, who would you guess Jesus is speaking to? His disciples? A blind, lame, or leprous person that Jesus is about to heal? No, at this point Jesus is arguing with the Pharisees. If anyone applied biblical principles to their lives, it was the Pharisees. They also were rich, in places of honor, and seemed to generally maintain decent relationships with people. By most people’s standards, the Pharisees applied biblical principles to their lives and were living the abundant life as a result. Yet Jesus is in the middle of arguing with them.

The Right Application: Jesus is the great shepherd of his people. He lays down his life in order to save his sheep, because he knows his sheep, he loves his sheep, he gathers his sheep, and he has received the charge from his Father to lay down his life for his sheep. Jesus wants to give his people abundant, eternal life where he may dwell with all who have entered through the door: faith in himself. Any who enter another way have come to steal people away from the joy of life with Jesus.

Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

The Wrong Application: If you have never accepted Jesus into your heart to be your personal Lord and Savior, know this: Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart, asking you, begging you to let him in. If you have never done that before in your life, I want you to pray this prayer with me. Just repeat after me. “Lord Jesus…”

The Problem: In chapters 2 and 3 of the book of Revelation, Jesus is dictating letters that are to be sent to the churches of Asia. This particular portion is written to the church in Laodicea, a church with a reputation for well-being. By all appearances Laodicea would be a church where Jesus had been invited in a long time ago. Jesus is not knocking on the door of anyone’s heart, but knocking on the door of the church.

The Right Application: The reason that Jesus is at the door knocking is because the church has effectively removed Jesus. He is no longer present at the church and they are only keeping up appearances. Jesus is highlighting the irony that a church with a reputation of spirituality is a church where he needs to knock on the door and wait for it to be answered. Therefore, today we must recognize that outward growth and spiritual reputation can be present when Jesus is not. We need to bring Jesus back into our church by preaching the gospel and performing works that are worthy of the gospel of God.

Matthew 22:36-40

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

The Wrong Application: The Bible is not a book all about rule-following and keeping every “i” dotted or every “t” crossed. The Pharisees were experts with their traditions and kept thousands of man-made laws thinking that this made them right with God. God says this, “You want to know what the whole Bible is about? You want to know how to please God? You want to know how to live a life of meaning and purpose? Love God, love people. That’s it. This is the whole Bible whittled down to 4 verses.”

The Problem: It is certainly true that the entire law is summarized and fulfilled by the two commandments to love God and love people. In fact, it is even perceptive to notice that the commandment for us to love our neighbor is in fact a commandment to love mankind in general considering that Jesus told the parable of the good Samaritan in response to the question “who is my neighbor” and furthermore Jesus has also said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Having stated this, the problem with the wrong interpretation is that the commands “Love God, Love People” are an adequate summary of the law, but not the gospel! See Romans 3:20 – “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” So the incorrect application of this passage actually teaches salvation by works rather that salvation by faith!

The Right Application: Since the entire law is summarized by the commandments “Love God and Love People,” consider the full scope of how gravely we break this every day. The requirement of this law is absolute, uninterrupted love for God. That is a terrifying thought. With or every action that does not stem from absolute love of God we are guilty of breaking the greatest commandment. The very commandment that seemed to be life-giving has actually condemned us! Yet thanks be to Jesus, who did in fact keep this commandment perfectly! Jesus always loved his Father and neighbor with perfect and unfailing love. Meditate on 1 John 4:10 – “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Through faith in Jesus, we are counted as if we lived Jesus’ life of perfect love. We are counted as if we loved God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbor as ourselves. From this righteousness that comes from outside of us we can learn to actually obey Jesus. We learn that there is no sin that loves God and there is no good work without loving God.

Proverbs 29:18

Where there is no vision the people perish.

The Wrong Application:Your local mega-church pastor has been reading books by business gurus again and announces the newest topic of a sermon series: Vision-casting. When you totally surrender your life to God he will make a vision for your life to well up within you until you just can’t help but do something about it. This church was born from a vision we had a few years ago and if you’re not on board with the mission and vision of this church then it’s not you who is going to perish, but everybody else. This is a church for the unchurched, and if you’re not on-board with the vision of this church, you need to leave and find another church. Preferably one who doesn’t care about reaching the lost.

The Problem: Most fundamentally, the verse itself is quoted wrong. The verse actually says, “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.” The proverb is not talking about a church’s vision or mission statement but about God’s legal revelations.

The Right Application: If you are familiar with the Book of Concord’s three primary uses of the law, the correct use for this proverb would be the first: to curb sin in society. When there is no revelation from God concerning his moral law sinful human beings do whatever they consider right in their own eyes causing absolute havoc. When the God of Love reveals a law, it truly is good for society for that the law be kept and enforced.

Revelation 3:20

Discrimination Against LGBT People

Intentional Secrecy

Why does everyone know what “coming out of the closet” means? It’s such a cultural phenomenon for people to expose the long-kept secrets of their homosexuality or gender preferences that we have an entire unrelated phrase devoted to it that almost everybody understands. It really begs the questions, “Why do people feel like they needed to keep this a secret?” and “Why do they describe feelings of liberation when they’re vocal about it?”

Fear

What if “coming out” means that your roommate no longer feels comfortable living with you? What if you are afraid that people will judge you as morally bankrupt or disgusting? What if you’re afraid that you will lose relationships with friends, family, employers, and (if applicable) churches? Coming out would be terrifying. Naturally, it’s easy to imagine the sigh of relief of the LGBT person who has come out without their world imploding around them.

Who Discriminates Against LGBT People and How?

I find it difficult to believe that so many people would have this fear if it were unwarranted. For this reason I have come up with a list of what I consider to be legitimate discriminations against LGBT people and who is discriminating.

• Blame Shifting – Perpetrators include: The Catholic Church, the Religious Right. While the Catholic Church is buried in the quagmire of pedophilia, sexual abuse, and cover-up from within the priesthood, it really takes a lot of bigotry to blame homosexuals. Equally bigoted are leaders of the Religious Right/TBN crowd who would blame the 9/11 attacks on God’s wrath against the nation that tolerates homosexuality. Meanwhile their own folks are investigated for fraud and getting caught in adultery.
• Genuine Homophobia – Cowards include: Miscellaneous fearful. While often “homophobia” is used pejoratively against anyone with a less than favorable opinion of homosexuality, there are many who are genuinely fearful of LGBT people. It seems rather irrational to be literally afraid of people on the basis of homosexuality but, then again, I suppose that’s what a phobia is.
• Unintentional Condescension – Holier-than-thou include: Repentant bloggers, concerned friends. This one is subtle. It happens when Christians, desiring to be loving, urge people to repent and receive forgiveness when they discover their homosexuality, but can’t prevent themselves from talking down to them in the process. It tends to happen with that acquaintance that you haven’t talked to in a while, but think that the news of their “coming out” is the perfect time to confront them about it. Of course, plenty of other friends whom you know a lot better are openly unrepentant of a variety of other sins but unworthy of your loving exhortation. Hypocrite.
• Cavalier Mockery – Scoffers include: Middle schoolers, people trying to ruin any chance of relating to LGBT friends. “Man that movie was GAY!” ‘Nuff said.

But Homosexuality is a Sin…

So as a Christian who is politically conservative, why did I write this post? Have I lapsed in my belief that homosexuality is a sin? No. I want to call us all to repentance and the forgiveness of sins. But before I continue I want to acknowledge one final type of discrimination against LGBT people. It’s from an unlikely source: Liberal churches. In these churches, LGBT people are denied the good news that all other sinners can otherwise hear and believe for salvation: repentance and the forgiveness of sins purchased by the shedding of Jesus’ innocent blood and secured in his resurrection from the dead. We all need, it, so why withhold it from one group? Is that not discrimination?

Jesus

Jesus had one major stump speech, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” It applies to every person on the planet including the LGBT community and any who discriminate against it. Jesus has lived a life of obedience on your behalf and died on your behalf that you may have everlasting life, the forgiveness of sins, and victory over the power of sin to conform you to Satan’s will. Confess you sins and find them forgiven in Jesus. Experience the deep love of God, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us – the godly for the ungodly. Praise God!

4 Arguments Against the Resurrection (And Why They Are Wrong)

All the Experts Agree

It seems like the supposed experts agree: Jesus did not rise from the dead. If you’re looking for some scholarly or academic ways to deny the resurrection, just Google it, and you will have plenty of choices. That’s the problem. Among resurrection deniers, there is consensus that Jesus did not rise from the dead, but no consensus about what actually happened.

Around Easter and Christmas every year, someone who wants to sell books or make documentaries will create a cutting edge explanation of the historical Jesus, or the historical Bible, or the historical crucifixion. Sadly, these explanations are rarely historical or cutting edge. They tend to be recycled, dated arguments that make significant factual errors or expose unfair biases held by the purveyors of these ideas.

As a result, it would be worthwhile to take some of these ideas to task and examine the holes in the various theories against the resurrection.

1. The Man “Jesus” Was Made Up
Idea held by: the ignorant, atheist children

Of all the theories against the resurrection, this is the most foolish because the wealth of data is overwhelming.

Consider the historical testimonies of two contemporary non-Christians historians.

Tacitus, a Roman governor lived from 56-117 AD, wrote about the Emperor Nero’s treatment of the early Christians:

But not all the relief that could come from man, not all the bounties that the prince could bestow, nor all the atonements which could be presented to the gods, availed to relieve Nero from the infamy of being believed to have ordered the conflagration, the fire of Rome. Hence to suppress the rumor, he falsely charged with the guilt, and punished Christians, who were hated for their enormities. Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius: but the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time broke out again, not only through Judea, where the mischief originated, but through the city of Rome also, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind.

Josephus, a early Jewish historian, wrote about Christians as a Pharisee, whom typically hated Jesus:

Antiquities 18.3.3 Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ, and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians so named from him are not extinct at this day.

The apostles wrote their works with minimal interactions making many of them semi-independent, and they line up exactly as you would expect eyewitness testimonies to line up. Additionally, we have smooth historical foundations along the timeline. For example, Polycarp was a disciple of John, the last living apostle, and we still have his writings today.

2. Jesus Didn’t Actually Die, He Just Went Into a Coma and Three Days Later he Woke Up and Claimed to Resurrect.
Idea held by: Apostate Christians, some Atheists and Agnostics

If you’re into fanciful explanations of things, you should be able to do better than this. Paul testified to getting “the 40 lashes minus one” 5 times at the hand of the Jews. Why didn’t he just say 39? Because the cultural idiom at the time claimed that 40 lashes will kill a person. So when someone is given 39 lashes it’s saying you’re taking them as far as you can get without killing them. Jesus got these before his crucifixion even began. In other words, Jesus was near death before he was even nailed to the cross.

Then, you put him on a cross and pierce him in the wrists and the head, where he will bleed the most. Simultaneously, his body weight is causing suffocation and the extreme blood loss is keeping oxygen levels to his brain low. He is lifting himself up to take breaths while near death for hours. Keep in mind that the night before he was sweating blood, meaning his blood vessels were bursting due to his immense stress.  He was in bad shape before he was even whipped.

At the end of his crucifixion, after he was already declared dead, a Roman soldier pierced his heart open with a spear, just in case.

In order for this theory to work, Jesus had to have survived this whole process. Then, he apparently chilled in a tomb for 3 days without food or water, with incredible blood loss, just to make sure he could fake this prophetic fulfillment. Then, he pushes away a 2-ton stone, fights off the armed guards from the most experienced army in the known world using karate, then jogs seven miles down the road to Emmaus to catch up with his disciples (Luke 24), gives them a Bible lesson of the entire Old Testament, and only then eats with them.

That, or the Bible was right.

3. Jesus Did Die, But He Didn’t Rise From the Dead.
If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead after dying, his body would be in the tomb until it had been decomposed. The Pharisees (such as Saul, who became Paul) persecuted Christians, traveling around killing them. If Jesus was still dead, then they could just go to the tomb, get the remains and parade them around the city. Then Christianity would have been instantly and reliably debunked. Yet, they couldn’t do that because the remains weren’t there.

Well suppose the disciples stole the body. Keep in mind the guard would have been executed if he accepted a bribe, so these fishermen would have needed to plan a pretty awesome ambush.

Ok. Suppose they pulled that off. Really. Now explain why all of the thirteen apostles suffered insane persecution repeatedly for their whole lives and lived in poverty and generosity their whole lives. Twelve were killed as martyrs on account of the resurrection and the remaining one died in exile after an escaped attempt at murdering him. These guys would have known if they stole the body, and there is simply no motive to propagate the lie.

But, now bear with me, suppose for some reason they did. Well, look at 1 Corinthians 15:6. Paul appeals to what is supposedly a shared fact among them that Jesus appeared to over 500 people at a time of whom there were living witnesses.

There is just no chance the disciples stole the body.

4. There was a decoy Jesus (Jebus?), He Died, Then Whamo-Blamo Real Jesus Pops Out Resurrected
Idea held by: Orthodox Muslims (a similar argument is actually in the Koran)

He wasn’t crucified in the dark. People knew what he looked like. They sat there and watched him die, and the Sunday before (Palm Sunday) they welcomed him hailing him as the Messiah. Thousands of people watched him teach for hours and crowds of people watched his crucifixion. If there was an impostor, someone would have known.

Bonus: Jesus Rose From the Dead Metaphorically/Allegorically/Spiritually

If this were true, then his physical body would have still been in the tomb and all the arguments from number 3 would still stand. Additionally, in the Grecco-Roman world, the only people with a theology/philosophy/worldview in which resurrection could occur were the Jews (See N. T. Wright’s The Resurrection of the Son of God). Hence it makes perfect sense that those in the Areopagus of Athens who heard Paul preach the resurrection of Jesus scoffed at the very notion of resurrection. Finally, in Luke’s gospel, Jesus shows his scarred hands and eats broiled fish purely to prove that he is not a disembodied spirit.

“Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”

About the Experts

Yes, the experts go to incredible lengths to discredit the resurrection because they have an agenda. Scholars feel silly claiming that miracles happened and that Jonah was in a whale, so out of a desire to look smart they argue against the Bible’s claims. Many others have been radically hurt by legalistic religion and people who held to the inerrancy of the Bible and so they are really wanting to discredit the resurrection out of bitterness. A lot of people perceive Christians as bigots and want to spite Christianity in the name of gay rights or other issues that produce tension with Christianity. As a result, many academics propagate these myths with a lot of dishonest techniques.

1. Appeals to scholarly consensus that just isn’t there (but most people wouldn’t know)
2. Appeals to archeology that likewise isn’t there (but most people wouldn’t know)
3. Claiming (without citing) the presence of innumerable contradictions in the gospels
4. Pretending to discover something in the original languages (assuming that most people can’t read them)
5. Presupposing their arguments (“Since we know that resurrection is impossible, we need to read this narrative in light of…”)
6. Using academic condescension (“Surely you don’t believe that these are literal stories…”)
7. Making personal attacks (“All thinking men are atheists.”)

The real trick is to find a way to be kind and loving while absolutely demolishing the content of these arguments. It’s just like Romans 1 says. When you exchange the truth for a lie, God will give you over to a debased mind. Yet God is even merciful enough to pluck people out and bring them to trust in Jesus. As the saying goes, “There but for the grace of God, go I.”

The Black Letter Jesus

Reading More than the Red Letters

If you read only Jesus’ words in the Bible, you will miss the majority of everything he has said in history. To elevate the direct words of Jesus above the rest of scripture is to put masking tape over the mouth of Jesus. We know that when Jesus quoted Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets, he attributed the words to God, even in the same contexts where he acknowledges the human authors. At the same time, we know that Jesus is the God of scripture and history for a number of reasons, including this statement from Jude 1:5

Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.

Therefore, do not fall for the foolish and devious lie that we should become so-called, “Red-Letter Christians,” or assume that if Jesus never directly said anything about a particular topic, then it must not be that important after all. If you really want to be like Jesus, read the rest of the Bible too.

What is Faith?

Faith According To Mormons

Occasionally, I meet with Mormon missionaries on campus and ask them questions about their beliefs. They tend to be very friendly and painfully agreeable, to the point that, based on their answers, it’s difficult to tell the difference between Mormonism and Christianity. After asking difficult, pointed questions, finding unsatisfactory answers, and answering with a rebuttal, the usual response is that you simply need to have faith and the inner conviction of the Holy Spirit will guide you to the truth of Mormonism. I am told to have faith in order that I may know that Mormonism is true. In other words, I am asked to suspend my critical faculties when judging the assertions of the Mormon Church, opting instead for subjective internal feelings that are accepted on faith.

Faith According to Atheists

As friendly and agreeable as most Mormon missionaries are, most Atheist missionaries are that angry and disagreeable. An exhaustingly jocular movement based around the satirical Flying Spaghetti Monster began in order to mock religions for accepting assertions based on faith. The thrust of the argument, after cutting through a few miles of sarcasm, is that if you’re willing to believe in God on faith apart from evidence, then you’re no different than someone who believes that the world was created by a monster made of pasta. Again, the definition of faith in the view of the Atheist is what enables a religious person to judge a set of assertions to be true apart from or in opposition to objective reasons.

Whaduhya Know!

Hebrews 11
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

The Atheists were right, huh? No, I hope you don’t read this passage that superficially. What does Hebrews 11 mean in context? Go back to chapter 10. Remember, the original manuscripts have no headings, and no chapter or verse divisions. Notice that all the chapters begin with words like, “therefore,” “since,” and “now.” When Hebrews 11 begins with, “Now faith…” it is continuing from a chain of arguments that goes all the way back to the beginning of the letter.

Hebrews 10
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Notice, the justification for faith is not blind. It is not belief in assertions suspended in the air entirely unsupported. The reason for faith is the faithfulness of God, “for he who promised is faithful.”

My Faithful Wife

As a newlywed, I really love my wife. I have faith in her. We are faithful to each other. My faith in her should be an honor because when I declare, “I trust my wife,” I am really saying that I consider her trustworthy. Suppose my wife asked me, “Ben, why do you consider me trustworthy?”, and I answer, “because I just do!” She would be incredibly insulted. Hallie has done things and proven herself time and time again that she is faithful and trustworthy. When Hallie reports something to me, I believe her, not because I relax my brain and refuse to think, but because Hallie has proven that she is trustworthy. In the same way, Christians put their faith in Jesus because he is trustworthy, not because we have turned off our brains.

God Proves Himself to Israel

The Israelites were people who constantly wavered in their faithfulness to God. It seems that they were always hesitant to trust in God and always quick to abandon him. Yet these were people who walked across the parted Red Sea, who ate the bread from Heaven in the wilderness, who saw Moses’ face glow when he brought them the commandments from Mt. Sinai, and watched the walls of Jericho fall without siege. God was speaking along the way, saying things like “…that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel,” “…that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you,” and “…that you may know that I am the Lord your God.” God is constantly doing things in order to prove himself to his people. He has always required faith in him, but he has always provided his people with reasons to believe him. This is why people are morally culpable for their faith! For the Jews to reject the Lord is for them to blindfold their eyes to what he has done.

Jesus Proves his Divinity

Jesus wants you to believe that he is God, that he created the world, that he died for your sins, and that he rose from the dead, but Jesus is not asking to believe simply because you believe. Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus constantly justifies the things he does using Old Testament scripture. He enters debates and offers evidences so that you may believe. Meanwhile, he is going throughout the Roman world privately changing water into wine and transfiguring into a celestial form, and publicly healing the blind, the sick, and the lame, walking on water, raising the dead, and multiplying food. When the disciples are skeptical that Jesus rose from the dead bodily, he showed them his hands, and asked to eat broiled fish to prove that it was him and that he was not a spirit, but flesh and bones. Paul reports that over 500 people at a time witnesses the resurrected Jesus. Jesus does not simply command belief in him without doing anything that would warrant it, he proves it time and time again.

But I Wasn’t There

It would be fantastic to have lived in the first century and witnessed the life and work of Jesus personally, but unfortunately for us we can’t. How then do we know whether these proofs are historical? Well, how do we know that anything is historical? These events occurred before photography, video, and audio recording existed. Before you’re tempted to claim that we can’t know things without photos, videos, or recordings, remember that to make such a statement means that we have to throw away all history prior to the inventions of recording devices. In all matters of history, historians rely on witnesses, documents, and testimonies and can establish credibility based on objective features.

Peter Proves Jesus is the Messiah

Throughout his preaching to the unbelieving masses in the book of Acts, Peter calls people to believe based on proofs and reasons.  Throughout his sermons Peter exposits the Old Testament to show how what was was foretold, has been fulfilled. He doesn’t call them to believe for no reason, but because of the soundness of scripture. Even when miracles surrounded his preaching, Peter never once pointed at them to prove that these things were so, but insisted on the scripture’s testimony and his firsthand witness. In his second letter, Peter expounds on the merit of his testimony saying,

2 Peter 1: 16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Do Christians Believe Anything Without Evidence?

Given that evidence supports the assertions of Christianity, do we believe anything apart from evidence? Answer: Yes. When Christians take things on faith, they are not suspending their reasoning and building their beliefs on the air, they are trusting the mouth of the God whose works speak for him. No one has witnessed the beginning of the world. God has. Do we trust him? No one has experienced life in the new Heavens and the new Earth. God sees it like it is today. God’s track record for honesty is solid, so when God speaks we need to believe him, not in spite of reasons, but because he has proven himself trustworthy.

Criticisms of Luther the Movie

I Love Martin Luther

As a proud Protestant, I cannot help but love Martin Luther. Not only was he a great reformer and theologian, but he was truly instrumental in recovering the gospel from works-righteousness salvation and the sale of indulgences. One of my favorite podcasts, Fighting for the Faith is hosted by a confessional Lutheran who promotes the gospel prolifically in every episode. It has proven to be a priceless gift in fixing my false views of the gospel and finding joy in Christ Jesus in a way that resembled Martin Luther himself. All this being said, I was a bit disappointed after watching the movie Luther for a number of reasons.

Luther was Not That Respectful

Martin Luther was known for many great things, but by no means was one of them respectfulness. Early on, Luther was sincerely interested in reforming the Roman Catholic Church, but as he was excommunicated and exiled, he began calling the Papists “dogs” and made a lot of humorous and disrespectful criticisms of them. The Luther of the movie seemed a lot more temperate and level-headed than the Martin Luther we have read about in history.

Luther was More Concerned with the Gospel

Considering that Luther’s most significant contribution to the church was the recovery of the doctrine of justification by faith alone apart from works, I am floored that the movie never once explains or even mentions justification by faith alone on account of Christ. The focus is overwhelmingly against the sale of indulgences to escape purgatory, but not for the gospel of salvation by faith alone. The Martin Luther of the movie is even found saying gushy platitudes about seeing Christ in you when you serve your neighbor, utterly unlike the real Martin Luther who is far more concerned with repentance from sin and to Jesus.

Luther was More Involved with the Peasant’s War

In the movie, Luther is isolated from the world while translating the Bible to German, and only when he leaves his study does he witness the Peasant’s War, which he tries to break up. The next few scenes involve Luther walking though the carnage weeping and laying his coat on a crippled child who survived. In history, Martin Luther viewed the rebels as criminals and advised the authorities, “There­fore let everyone who can, smite; slay, and stab, secretly or openly, remembering that nothing can be more poisonous, hurtful, or dev­ilish than a rebel.” (Against the Murderous, Thieving Hordes of Peasants, Luther). Definitely one of Luther’s low points and certainly over-stated, but historical. If the director was worried that people may come out with a bad opinion of Luther based on the Peasant’s War, he should have just skipped covering the Peasant’s War altogether, considering that many other historical events in Luther’s life had to be skipped in order to make the film. To those who know his true involvement in the incident, the theatrical portrayal seems like damage control for Martin Luther’s reputation.

Liberties Not Liberality

In every movie depicting historical people and events the director will have to take some creative liberties. In Luther, these liberties contradict the biographical intentions for the movie’s creation and result in a Martin Luther that is made for Hollywood, but bears little resemblance to the Martin Luther of the Reformation.

Podcast Pushing #2

More Podcasting

As usual, I have been continuing to listen to more podcasts, and I felt the need to leave a brief review and recommendation.

David Calhoun, Covenant Theological Seminary: Reformation and Modern Church History

Most people that I know, Christians included, lack even a basic understanding of church history. There is always talk of doing something different or something new when it comes to church, but very few people actually understand where they have come from and where they are going. This is one reason I recommend this seminary class on church history.

This class traces the origins of Protestantism from its roots in the Reformation to the modern day church. You will learn about the reformers like Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, and Knox. You will discover the origins of the Lutherans, the Anabaptists, the Presbyterians, the Puritans, the Anglicans, the Episcopalians, the Methodists, and the Baptists. You will learn about Germany, England, Scotland, America, and beyond. You will follow through debates over theology, church polity, orders of worship, and political control. You will learn about the great revivals and missionary movements throughout history, following through the sweet years of evangelicalism and peaceful zeal as well as the bitter years of liberalism, heresy, racism, and warfare. The church cannot afford to be ignorant about her history.

Dr. Calhoun, the professor of this course, proves to be not only a brilliant teacher, but a Christian man worthy of our respect and thankfulness. Each lesson begins with a prayer for the class from the setting or historical figure of the lesson, and each lesson ends with a relevant quotation from scripture. You will be educated and edified by listening through these lectures.

The course is available freely to download.

Covenant Theological Seminary Worldwide Classroom

iTunes U (choose this if  you would like to subscribe instead of downloading each file individually).

Did You Gouge Out Your Eye?

Confession

The months leading up to our marriage, my wife and I suffered under extreme, debilitating sexual temptation. We had a long-distance relationship the whole time that we had known each other, making our visits in person emotional, physical, and all around tempting. We prayed earnestly and continually for the desires to postpone until our wedding, and pursued means to withstand the temptation without succumbing to legalism, but still we found ourselves yielding to desires prematurely.

At one point, I found myself so jaded from constantly faltering in the same way that I emotionally began to question whether 1 Corinthians 10:13 was true:

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Eventually, I took my concerns to a pastor at my church who gave me the wise council, “If you’re still committing the sin, then you are obviously neglecting the means of grace than God has provided for you to get out of it. “

I protested initially telling him, “You don’t know how many different ways we have tried to fight this.”

He responded, “Did you gouge out your eye? Jesus said that if your eye causes you to sin, then gouge it out.”

I got the point. There is at least one means of grace that I have not used: gouging out my eye. Suddenly, I had a fresh desire to find alternative means of grace.

When the time came around for me to visit my wife-to-be, I called a close friend and invited him to stay the night. He did, and as a result, we avoided sexual sin. Sure it was uncomfortable, but it beat losing an eye.

No More Excuses

What are the areas in your life where you have given up at repentance? Do you have fits of anger against others when they do something that you consider stupid? Do you continually dishonor your parents because you don’t feel like they deserve honor after the way they have treated you? Is it ok for you spread that bit of gossip even though it’s all true? Have you resolved to live a homosexual lifestyle because you prayed about it and God didn’t take it away? Have you given yourself to pornography because, hey, it’s better than sex right?

1 John 3:9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.

This is not perfectionism, this is repentance. No one, John of first John included, is claiming that you will cease to sin entirely as evidence of your new birth, but rather the familiar message of repentance and the forgiveness of sins. The first of Martin Luther’s 95 theses that launched the Protestant Reformation was this:

“When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said ‘Repent’, He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”

Be Killing Sin, or it Will Be Killing You

It is time to put to death the sins that so easily entangle. Turn to Jesus, calling on his name. Use the means of grace to fight your sins. You might not even have to gouge out your eye.

What is the Opposite of Legalism?

Done With Legalism!

When was the last time you heard someone call himself a legalist? Hardly anyone will ever describe himself as legalistic, but many Christians who go on to maturity recognize that they have behaved legalistically perhaps even more often than they broke commandments. It is much more natural to regulate behavior instead of seeking strength in the gospel through repentance and faith in Jesus and as a result, the refreshing, simple call to trust in the merits of Jesus crucified for you on the cross suddenly becomes a joy bigger than the national debt. At this point of the discussion, it is easy to feel done. Go, and be a legalist no more!

The Opposite of Wrong

In every issue of the Christian life, the opposite of wrong is just a different wrong. For example, charismatic acts a la Benny Hinn are false signs and miracles, but without any theology of miracles, we would be deists, the atonement would be impossible, and our faith would be futile.

What then is the opposite of legalistic discipline? Disordered, lazy worldliness, and license to sin. Judge for yourself which is worse.

A Third Way

Where then does the recovering legalist go? To Jesus of course (the Sunday School answer is always right)! But what does that look like considering that Jesus has ascended to heaven? We can’t see or touch Jesus, or talk to him and hear words back. How do we encounter Jesus here on earth? Answer: through the means of grace.

The Meansa Wha?

The means of grace are ways that God has established for delivering grace to you. Consider Isaiah 55:1.

Isaiah 55:1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”

We see the grace in the, “without money and without price.” These are free gifts of grace, not works, but notice that you still have to eat. If you thirst and hunger and come to the waters, but you don’t eat, you will remain hungry. The means of grace are the ways that we eat the free food. Do not equate the calls to thirst, come, buy, and eat with dead works to please God, but rather as means that God has provided to acquire more and more and more grace to satisfy more and more of your hungers and thirsts and to help you to bear good fruit.

Give Me Grace!

Ok, so what are the means of grace? Where do we find them? In the Bible, of course.

• Crying out to the Lord from your trouble. (Psalm 107 – Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.)
• Confession of sins to God (1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.)
• Confession of sins to one another (James 5:16 – Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.)
• Through the exchange of spiritual gifts in church (1 Peter 4:10 – As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace)
• Hearing the gospel with faith (Galatians 3:5-6 – Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?)
• Hearing the word of God (Acts 20:32 – And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.)
• Being acquainted with the sacred writings (2 Timothy 3:15 – …and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.)
• Giving to the needy (2 Corinthians 9:7-8 – Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.)
• Eating the Lord’s Supper in a worthy manner (1 Corinthians 11:26 – For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.)

These were the results of a very brief survey of the Bible, and are by no means a comprehensive list, but they serve as a menu of appetizers in the feast of grace. Glut yourself on God, and bring a friend… or an enemy.