8/5/19

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN" Three Stages In The Christian Life (2:12-14) by Mark Copeland


"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN"

Three Stages In The Christian Life (2:12-14)

INTRODUCTION

1. Having charged his readers to observe an "old, yet new" commandment
   to love one another (1Jn 2:7-11), John takes a moment to
   specifically address various members of his reading audience - 
    1Jn 2:12-14

2. This section is rhythmical, almost lyrical, and raises a number of
   questions, such as these listed by Guy N. Woods in his commentary on
   1st John:
   a. Why did John use the present tense, "I write" {grapho}, in the 
      first three clauses, and "I have written" {egrapsa}, epistolary 
      aorist, in the second three?
   b. To what writing does he refer in the first instance?  In the second?
   c. What is the meaning of the word "children" in the first clause of
      each of the divisions?
   d. Why did he use the word "teknion" in the first reference to 
      children, and "paidion" in the second?
   e. In what sense is the reference to "fathers, children, young men" 
      to be taken, literal or figurative?

3. Many and various answers have been given to these questions; without
   going into detail, I believe the following answers to the above 
   questions have merit...
   a. We have here a simple form of Hebrew parallelism, where the same 
      thing is being said for the sake of emphasis
   b. In both instances, the writing to which John refers is this very epistle
   c. Unlike 1Jn 2:1,18,28; 3:7,18; 4:4; 5:21 where "children" appears
      to be a term of endearment for all believers, in 2:12,13 
      "children" seems to refer to a specific class of Christians
   d. Any distinction between "teknion" and "paidion" is likely not 
      significant, since John uses both as terms of endearment in this 
      epistle when speaking of all believers - cf. 1Jn 2:18 (paidion)
      with 1Jn 2:28 (teknion)
   e. Taken literally, the terms "fathers, children, young men" would 
      leave out many Christians (old men, old and younger women); 
      therefore, I take the terms to be figurative

4. With this understanding, I believe we find John addressing three 
   basic groups of Christians, who are at different stages in their 
   Christian life

[What we can glean from this section, then, is that there are "Three 
Stages Of The Christian Life", beginning with...]

I. THE STAGE OF INFANCY
   
   A. IN WHICH CHRISTIANS ARE "LITTLE CHILDREN"
      1. Both terms used by John normally refer to small infants
         a. teknion {tek-nee'-on} - diminutive of tekna; an infant
         b. paidion {pahee-dee'-on} - neut. diminutive of pais; a
            childling (of either sex), i.e. (prop.) an infant, or (by 
            extens.) a half-grown boy or girl (cf. Mk 5:39-42)
      2. Those who are new Christians, or immature Christians, are thus
         spoken of as "babes in Christ" - cf. 1Co 3:1; Ga 4:19; He 5:12-13
      3. This can be a difficult time, in which a Christian...
         a. Is still more carnal than spiritual - 1Co 3:1
         b. Can be a source of anxiety for those trying to lead them 
            along - Ga 4:19
         c. Needs to focus on the "milk" of the Word - He 5:12-13

   B. NEW CHRISTIANS CAN TAKE ENCOURAGEMENT FROM JOHN...
      1. Because their sins have been forgiven in Christ! - 1Jn 2:12
         a. Forgiveness is not based upon maturity or perfection
         b. But upon the blood of Jesus, and upon our willingness as 
            Christians to confess our sins - 1Jn 1:9
      2. Because they have "known the Father" - 1Jn 2:13
         a. I.e., they have fellowship with the Father, which is John's
            definition of "eternal life" - Jn 17:2-3
         b. They may be "babes", but they have "eternal life" in 
            Christ! - cf. 1Jn 5:11-12
         c. And John wants them to continue to believe! - 1Jn 5:13

[When a "babe in Christ" feeds upon the milk of the Word, making good 
use of the cleansing power of the blood of Christ, remaining in 
fellowship with the Father and sharing in "eternal life", it will not 
be long before they enter...]

II. THE STAGE OF YOUTH

   A. IN WHICH CHRISTIANS ARE "YOUNG MEN"
      1. As explained previously, I take the expression "young men" 
         figuratively
      2. It refers to all, male or female, young or old 
         chronologically, who are "strong in the Lord"
      3. I.e., all "who have overcome the wicked one" - 1Jn 2:13,14
         a. Not that they are perfect, or without sin - cf. 1Jn 1:8
         b. But that their faith has had time to be tested, and they 
            have demonstrated that they are truly "born of God" - 
            cf. 1Jn 4:4; 5:4-5

   B. THE SOURCE OF THEIR STRENGTH IS THE WORD OF GOD...
      1. Only as the Word of God "abides" (remains) in them are they 
         strong - 1Jn 2:14
      2. Even as David saw the value of letting the Word of God abide 
         in his heart - Ps 119:11
      3. For this reason, then, we need to heed the admonition of Peter
         - cf. 1Pe 2:2

[As one demonstrates time and again that they are strong in the Lord, 
they progress to the final stage of the Christian life...]

III. THE STAGE OF MATURITY

   A. IN WHICH CHRISTIANS ARE "FATHERS"
      1. Again, I take the term "fathers" figuratively
      2. It likely refers in this passage to Christians, male and 
         female, who have reached the highest stage of the Christian life
      3. The term "fathers" suggests...
         a. They have had experience, having progressed through earlier
            stages of the Christian life (infancy, strength)
         b. They have even produced spiritual offspring, by leading 
            others to Christ - cf. 1Co 4:14-15

   B. THEY "HAVE KNOWN HIM WHO IS FROM THE BEGINNING"
      1. The reference is likely to Jesus, who "was from the beginning"
         - 1Jn 1:1; Jn 1:1-2
      2. Is there a distinction being made by John?
         a. "Little children" have known "the Father" - 1Jn 2:13
         b. "Fathers" have known "the Son" (who was from the beginning)
            - 1Jn 2:13,14
      3. If so, perhaps it is this:
         a. As babes in Christ, it can be said that even in our infancy
            we can "know" the Father, that is have an intimate 
            relationship with Him and experience the eternal life which
            He gives
         b. But only with time, and with opportunity to "walk just as 
            He walked" (1Jn 2:6), can it be said that one has truly 
            come to "know" Jesus
            1) Therefore the admonition of Peter to "grow in the...
               knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" - 2Pe 3:18
            2) Which knowledge comes only as we develop the Christ-like
               graces found in 2Pe 1:5-8

CONCLUSION

1. The Christian life has much in harmony with physical life...
   a. There are definite stages in life
   b. Only through "growth" does one pass from one stage to the other
   c. But when growth does not occur, that is a sign of a serious malady!

2. There is a major difference, however...
   a. Physical growth usually occurs without much effort on our part
   b. Such is not the case with spiritual growth!

3. These verses that have served as the basis of our text, while they 
   are difficult in many respects, they ought to clearly impress upon 
   our minds several truths:
   a. There are different stages in the Christian life
   b. In each stage there are blessings to be enjoyed
   c. But little children need to become young men, and young men need
      to become fathers

May God grant us the grace needed to grow as we should, and enjoy the
full blessings in each stage of the Christian life!


Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

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Why Doesn't God Appear to Us to Prove that He Exists? by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=5323

Why Doesn't God Appear to Us to Prove that He Exists?

by Eric Lyons, M.Min.


Sometimes our unbelieving friends wonder why God doesn’t just appear to everyone on Earth and prove in person that He exists? Why doesn’t He show Himself to each generation of humanity so that everyone on Earth can see and hear Him and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is real? After all, according to the Bible, the Lord appeared “to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty” (Exodus 6:3), and He “spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11). So why doesn’t He do the same for everyone else?
Christians freely admit that there are many specific things that we do not know about the infinite, eternal, omnipotent, omniscient Creator of the Universe, including why He does or does not do certain things. “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8-9). There is no way to know the mind of God unless He chooses to reveal some of His ways to us. Moses wrote: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29, emp. added). So has God specifically revealed why He has not appeared to every human being in the history of the world to prove His existence to them? The fact is, God does not expressly address this question in the Bible; but He does reveal enough to us about Himself and His creation to draw the following conclusions. 
First, even if God directly appeared to and spoke with every person on Earth, not everyone would believe in Him. After all, God revealed Himself to mankind in the first-century (John 1:1,14), speaking like “no man ever spoke” (John 7:46) and working all manner of miracles, including walking on water, healing the blind, reattaching severed body parts with the touch of His hand, and raising the dead. Yes, even though, for example, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, and came back from the dead Himself, many still did not believe in Him (John 11:45-53; 12:9-11)—they rejected Him despite the fact that He (God) appeared to them face to face.
In 2012, renowned atheist Richard Dawkins was questioned about his unbelief in God. Specifically, he was asked, “What proof, by the way, would change your mind?” He quickly responded by saying, “That is a very difficult and interesting question because, I mean, I used to think that if somehow, you know, great, big, giant 900-foot-high Jesus with a voice like Paul Robeson suddenly strode in and said, ‘I exist and here I am,’ but even that, I actually sometimes wonder if that would….”1 Though Dr. Dawkins was interrupted, he clearly left the impression that even if God appeared to him, taking the form of a “giant 900-foot-high Jesus” with a mighty voice, even that encounter would probably not convince him.
Sadly, not only would many continue in their unbelief if God actually did appear to them, many more would reject His authority over them, even if they acknowledged His existence. Judas was among the closest friends and disciples of Jesus. He was the treasurer of the group. Yet, he was a thief who eventually betrayed the Lord. One might argue that Judas never believed (cf. John 6:60-71), which would only further validate our first point. But if he truly believed in Jesus as the Son of God, then he ultimately chose money over the Master; he chose sin over the Savior. He was not, and will not be, the last to make such choices. In fact, before any human being ever came to know God and subsequently reject His will, there were a number of angelic beings who did. They are created heavenly beings (Colossians 1:16) who knew (and know) God, but willingly chose to reject His will for them (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6). So wicked and rebellious to the God of heaven did Satan become that he even tried to tempt God to sin (Matthew 4:1-11). Make no mistake about it, in no way does acknowledging God’s existence directly translate into loving Him and submitting to His will (Matthew 7:21-23). In fact, atheist Dan Barker demonstrated such rebelliousness in the Butt/Barker debate when he stated that, though he believes God “doesn’t exist,” “[i]f there is a hell and if the atheists get to the end of their life and discover, ‘Yep, I was wrong, there is a God….’ Then I would say to that God…‘you go to hell…. You do not have my respect.’”2
Third, God has already given every accountable person on Earth an adequate amount of evidence to come to a knowledge of His existence. The very reality of a material Universe (which could not have sprung into existence from nothing; nor is it eternal),3 testifies to the existence of a Creator. “For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God” (Hebrews 3:4). In fact, “[s]ince the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). Since the time of Adam and Eve, mankind has been given the opportunity to see how “the things that are made” testify quite “clearly” on behalf of a powerful, invisible Creator. As the psalmist proclaimed, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world” (19:1-4).
So why doesn’t God appear to every person on Earth to prove that He exists? The short answer is: “Because He, as the sovereign Ruler of the Universe, chooses not to.” We may not know all of God’s reasons for why He chooses not to appear personally to every person on the Earth throughout every generation, but in no way does such a decision on His part prove (1) that He doesn’t exist, or (2) that He is unkind and unfair. The fact is, God has always given man adequate evidence for His existence—so much so that any person who refuses to acknowledge His existence is “without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

ENDNOTES

1  “Q&A: Religion and Atheism” (2012), ABC Australia, April 9, http;//www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/txt/s3469101.htm, emp. added.
2  Kyle Butt and Dan Barker (2009), Butt/Barker Debate: Does the God of the Bible Exist? (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press), emp. added.
3  Jeff Miller (2013), “Evolution and the Laws of Science: The Laws of Thermodynamics,” Apologetics Press, /apcontent.aspx?category=9&article=2786.


Why does God Sometimes Repent? by Bert Thompson, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=1166


Why does God Sometimes Repent?

by Bert Thompson, Ph.D.


Q.

Why did God “repent” regarding his decision to create man, and to destroy the city of Nineveh?

A.

On occasion, within Scripture we find the comment made that God “repented” of certain actions (or intended actions) on His part. For example, in Genesis 6 and Jonah 3, we find the following statements:
And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And Jehovah said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the ground; both man, and beast, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; for it repenteth me that I have made them (Genesis 6:6-7, emp. added).
And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil which he said he would do unto them; and he did it not (Jonah 3:10, emp. added).
Such texts represent God supposedly changing His mind and reversing His course of action (i.e., He “repented” of something). The adverb “supposedly” in the previous sentence, however, was chosen deliberately, since in each of the situations discussing God’s repentance, the change of heart or action actually occurred in man, not in God. Jehovah is just (Psalm 7:11, NKJV), and His laws are invariant. Therefore, when man, acting with free will, behaves in a manner worthy of the teaching he has received, God considers him righteous. The converse applies for transgressions of that law.
For instance, during the Patriarchal Age in which they were living, Noah and his contemporaries had received instructions on how to live righteously (see 1 Peter 3:18-20), and as long as they continued in this manner, God’s presence and blessings would abide with them. But when they became sinful and unrepentant, He no longer could condone their actions. As a consequence of their sinful rebelliousness, God withdrew His spirit (Genesis 6:3), and pledged to send a flood to destroy all mankind except Noah and his immediate family (6:7). God was grieved (6:6), not because He did not know that this series of events would happen, or because He somehow “regretted” having created man in the first place, but because, having given man the choice to serve Him or reject Him, man had chosen the latter with such unanimity. When we hear God described in terms such as “sad,” “joyful,” etc. that frequently are used to describe human emotions, we must remember that such descriptions are not intended to imply that God is emotionally vulnerable in the same way that humans are (cf. Acts 17:25). Rather, such descriptions are intended to show that God is compassionate and loving.
The examples described above (from Genesis 6 and Jonah 3) represent situations in which God’s actions were necessary because of the fact that man, although created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27), had morphed into a sinful creature. Thus, God’s decision to judge man via a universal flood, or to destroy the inhabitants of an entire city, was dependent upon man’s (negative) response to the conditions of righteousness that God had imposed at an earlier time via His divine commands. Such conditions might have been stated in explicit terms, or they could have been simply implied. In the case at Nineveh, for example, when Jonah preached that God would destroy the city, the conditions obviously were implied. A promise or threat does not have to be couched in a specific form to have meaning. God did not have to say in explicit terms, “If the people of Nineveh repent, then I will spare them; otherwise, I will destroy them.” The fact that the people did repent after Jonah’s preaching, shows that they understood God’s intended message. To use a more modern example; if a young child is about to touch something that he should not, and a parent firmly says to him, “No, don’t touch that,” the child fully understands that touching violates the wishes of the parent, and that punishment may ensue—even though the implied punishment is not specifically mentioned. Consider the following passage.
At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; if that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them (Jeremiah 18:7-10).
This passage is an explicit statement of the very principle under consideration here—i.e., God’s plan or rule of conduct in dealing with man. God’s promises and/or threats may be either directly stated, or implied. Whenever God, in reacting to a change of character or intent in certain persons, does not execute the threats, nor fulfill the promises He made to them, the reason is clear. If a wicked man turns from his wickedness, God no longer holds the threat against him. If a righteous man turns from righteousness to wickedness, God withdraws the previously promised blessings. It is precisely because God is immutable that His relationship to men, and/or His treatment of them, varies with the changes in their conduct. When the Scriptures thus speak of “God having repented,” the wording is accommodative (viz., written from a human vantage point). As Samuel Davidson has well said: “When repentance is attributed to God, it implies a change in His mode of dealing with men, such as would indicate on their part a change of purpose” (1843, p. 527). From a human vantage point, we view God’s act(s) as “repentance.” But, in reality, God’s immutable law has not changed one iota; only the response of man to that law has changed. Seen in this light, God cannot be accused of any self-contradictory attributes.
Men sometimes charge Jehovah with being an arbitrary Tyrant. They suggest that He has given capricious and meaningless commands, thereby taunting humanity and frustrating true loyalty. Such a charge cannot be substantiated, however, in light of the following principles.
First, the notion that God does anything whimsically or arbitrarily is not consistent with what we know of His wise and orderly nature. All that we are able to learn about the Lord, both from nature (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20, etc.), and through His verbal revelation (John Psalm 119:160; John 17:17), declares that His activity is characterized by deliberate intelligence. The ancient Greeks even called the Universe “Cosmos” —a term suggesting the arrangement of order that is displayed so marvelously in the material realm. Even the Bible, with its ingenious development and unfolding plan of redemption, pays tribute to the wisdom God.
Second, a multitude of evidences surrounding us, both in the book of nature and in the book of inspiration, argues for the love and benevolence of our Creator. Nowhere is this demonstrated more forcefully than in the gift of Jesus Christ, the Savior of all who come unto Him in humble obedience (Matthew 11:28-30; Romans 1:5; 8:32; 16:26). It therefore is not consistent with the known character of God to suggest that He ever would make demands upon the creature of His own image (Genesis 1:26), simply to taunt or to frustrate him.
Third, we must recognize that God is God, and man is man, and, due to the nature of the difference between them, we cannot always understand why God has acted as He has. As the apostle Paul put it: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!” (Romans 11:33). On the basis of what we do understand, though, we must learn to trust Him Who always does that which is right (Genesis 18:25).
Fourth, for the studious and discerning person, the wisdom in Heaven’s commands usually is apparent. For example, moral obligations, such as “do not murder,” or “do not commit adultery,” obviously are designed to enhance a peaceable social order, which, of course, facilitates the type of environment in which Jehovah’s redemptive plan can flourish. Morality is reasonable, as even the atheist admits. The late evolutionist of Harvard University, George Gaylord Simpson, stated that although “man is the result of a purposeless and materialistic process that did not have him in mind,” nonetheless “good and evil, right and wrong, concepts irrelevant in nature except from the human viewpoint, become real and pressing features of the whole cosmos as viewed morally because morals arise only in man” (1967, p. 346, emp. added). In his book, Ethics Without God, humanist Kai Nielsen admitted that to ask, “Is murder evil?,” is to ask a self-answering question (1973, p. 16). So far as creatures of the Earth are concerned, morality is a uniquely human trait—a fact that even unbelievers concede.
Sometimes, our greatest problem is in failing to see the reason for certain divinely instructed obligations. Let me introduce just one prominent example. Why did God command Abraham to offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice? Does not this incident “smack” of capriciousness—a sort of cruel hoax upon the patriarch? Not in the least. First, it was intended as a test of Abraham’s obedience. Isaac was the only son of Abraham and Sarah, and the heir to God’s promise of a great nation (Genesis 12:1-3), so how better for God to test Abraham’s loyalty to Him than by asking Abraham to give up what was perhaps his greatest possession—his only son (cf. Hebrews 11:17-19). [God, of course, by preventing Abraham from completing the sacrifice, obviously never intended for Isaac to be killed, but merely wanted to demonstrate Abraham’s obedience—possibly for the sake of Isaac as much as for Abraham; cf. A.P. Staff, 2003.] Abraham’s obedient faith has been a blessing to countless thousands across the centuries.
Second, we must remember that the Canaanites of that region practiced human sacrifice as a way of life. This circumstance afforded an excellent opportunity of showing that an animal sacrifice was an acceptable atonement in exchange for human life. Third, this case provided a remarkable way to prefigure the death and resurrection of Christ, and thus prepare for that coming climax in the divine scheme (cf. Hebrews 11:17-19; John 8:56). It thus was not an arbitrary demand.
The more one carefully studies the nature of the God of the Bible, the more the “mystery” surrounding His actions dissipates. Let us, therefore, trust, and submit to Him Who has demonstrated His concern for us in a myriad of ways.

REFERENCES

Davidson, Samuel (1843), Sacred Hermeneutis Developed and Applied; Including a History of Biblical Interpretation from the Earliest of the Fathers to the Reformation (Edinburgh: Thomas Clark).
Nielsen, Kai (1973), Ethics Without God (London: Pemberton).
Simpson, George Gaylord (1967), The Meaning of Evolution (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press), revised edition.
A.P. Staff (2003), “Did God Tempt Abraham?,” [On-line], URL: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/589.

Why Do Men Reject God? by Wayne Jackson, M.A.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=224


Why Do Men Reject God?

by Wayne Jackson, M.A.


Most people in the world, throughout the ages of history, have believed in some concept of a Supreme Being. They may have had a perverted sense of Who that Being is, but they were convinced that there is a Personal Power greater than man. Given the evidence available, faith is reasonable. That is why the psalmist declared: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 14:1). The Hebrew word for “fool” suggests one who is not thinking rationally.
Since unbelief is neither reasonable nor the norm, one cannot but wonder why some people become atheists. I am convinced, after reflecting upon the matter for many years, that religious disbelief does not result from logical conclusions based on well-researched data. Rather, generally speaking, emotional motivation of some sort is a primary causative factor.
Consider the following case. In 1996, Judith Hayes, a senior writer for The American Rationalist, authored a caustic, atheistic tirade titled: In God We Trust: But Which One? In this treatise, Mrs. Hayes revealed two clues as to why she left the Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod) and became an atheist.
As a youngster, she had a friend who was a Buddhist. Judith was very close to “Susan,” and she simply could not tolerate the idea that her friend, who did not accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God, might be lost apart from the biblical redemptive system. So, rather than carefully examining the evidence to determine whether or not the claims of the Lord (as set forth in the New Testament record—see John 14:6; Acts 4:12) are true, she simply decided, on an emotional and reactionary basis, that Christianity could not be genuine.
Eventually Judith married, but the relationship degenerated. Mrs. Hayes claims her husband was verbally abusive. Again, though, instead of considering the possibility that she might have been responsible for having made a bad choice in her marital selection, or that her husband decided on his own volition to be abusive (in direct violation of divine teaching—Ephesians 5:25ff.), she blamed God for her disappointment. “[H]ow could I possibly have wound up married to a tyrant? Why had God forsaken me?,” she wrote (1996, p. 15). God did not forsake her. He honored her freedom of choice, and that of her husband as well. Human abuse of that freedom is not the Lord’s responsibility.
The infidel William Ernest Henley (1849-1903) was known principally for his skeptical poem, Invictus. As a youngster, Henley contracted tuberculosis, and had to have one foot amputated. He suffered much across the years and became quite bitter. He wrote:
In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced or cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance, my head is bloody, but unbowed.
His disbelief, however, was emotional, not intellectual.
The late Isaac Asimov once wrote: “Emotionally I am an atheist. I don’t have the evidence to prove that God doesn’t exist, but I so strongly suspect that he doesn’t that I don’t want to waste my time” (1982, emp. added).
In one of his books, Aldous Huxley acknowledged that he had reasons for “not wanting the world to have a meaning.” He contended that the “philosophy of meaningless” was liberating. He confessed that the morality of theism interfered “with our sexual freedom” (1966, p. 19). This is hardly a valid argument for rejecting the vast array of evidence that testifies to the existence of a Supreme Being!
Here is an important point. When men have motives for resisting faith in God, and when—out of personal prejudice—they are predisposed to reject the Creator, they become “ripe” for philosophical skepticism.

REFERENCES

Asimov, Isaac (1982), “Interview with Isaac Asimov on Science and the Bible,” Paul Kurtz, interviewer, Free Inquiry, pp. 6-10, Spring. See also Hallman, Steve (1991), “Christianity and Humanism: A Study in Contrasts,” AFA Journal, p. 11, March.
Hayes, Judith (1996), In God We Trust: But Which One? (Madison: WI: Freedom From Religion Foundation).
Huxley, Aldous (1966), “Confessions of a Professed Atheist,” Report: Perspectives on the News, Vol. 3, June.

Teachings of Jesus (Part 24) Warning About Being Spiritually Dull

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=1859

Teachings of Jesus (Part 24) Warning About 

Being Spiritually Dull


I don’t know about you, but when I get over tired I become a bit dull witted.     If I am totally exhausted don’t ask me my opinion about something super important, or figure something out that’s critical, and don’t expect me to study out or memorize something too difficult. I just can’t. Maybe there are times you feel the same.
But there are other times when we can be sharper than a tack when it comes to some things, and dull as can be when it comes to other things. For example there are some guys who are extremely proficient at their job but when it comes to understanding their wife’s or children’s needs the light bulb seems to go out, and they are dull witted when it comes to those relationships.
In our text today, in Luke 12, Jesus warns some about being dull witted. The warning is not so much about being dull witted when it comes to understanding things of this world, rather I believe He warns us about being dull when it comes to spiritual matters.
Listen to what He says in Luke 12:54-56 54 He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. 55 And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?”
So what is Jesus talking about here? What weren’t these people seeing? Why did He accuse them of not being able to interpret the times?
I believe He was saying this because despite the fact that He was there teaching the most incredible lesson maybe ever heard, and despite the fact that He doing the most awesome miracles ever seen, including feeding thousands with just a few scraps of bread and just a few dried fish, and driving out demons, healing all kinds of infirmities, and even raising some from the dead, some just did not recognize who He was; that He was the prophesied Messiah who was to come.
He said you guys can interpret the weather by what you see. How is it that you cannot interpret the present time. I can almost hear Him saying or thinking, ‘Are you so dull witted that you do not recognize who I am and how blessed you are to have Me in your presence?’ They did not see Him for who He was despite the overwhelming evidence.
And sad to say, at times we can be just as dull witted when it comes to spiritual matters. The facts, the truths, even God’s word may be right there in front of us saying something, but we still don’t respond or heed God’s promptings. We too can grow dull in regards to spiritual matters.
The author of the Hebrew letter also addressed members of the Church concerning this matter. Listen what he writes starting in Hebrew 5:7              While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. 10 And God designated him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. 11 There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. 12 You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. 13 For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. 14 Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.
So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding.                                                 For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.           When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it.   Dear friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don’t believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation. 10 For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. 11 Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. 12 Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.”NLT
Here the author of this Hebrew letter said that he could not go on and talk to these people about deeper spiritual truths because he accused some of being spiritually dull and they didn’t seem to listen very well. And because of that, when they should have been teachings others, he said that they are like babies that can only handle milk, or baby food, and he doesn’t want to have to keep going over the fundamentals over, and over, and over.
So what’s the problem here? Why are these people so dull spiritually? What are some things that led to this condition in them which can also happen in us? And what are some things that we can do to prevent this from happening to us?
1) To begin with the first thing we see is the fact that Jesus mentions in 12:56 that these people were hypocrites. In other words they we phonies. These Jews who apparently claimed to know the Old Testament scriptures, including what it had to say about the coming Messiah really did not really know them as much as they thought because they did not recognize the Messiah now that He was there right in front of them.
Doesn’t it make you angry or upset when people claim to know something, or how to do something but then you find out they don’t. It’s like the guy who claims to be such a great auto mechanic, but when you take your car to him to fix something simple he botches it all up. He is just a bag of hot air and a phony who doesn’t really know his stuff.
A lot of times people seem to be a know it all, and that kind of arrogance may even hinder or even blind them to certain truths. It may entail being a bit stubborn and may lead on to become a but un-teachable; hence leading to becoming a bit dull spiritually.
In Matthew 5:6 Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they shall be filled.”
I believe if one wants to avoid falling into the trap of becoming spiritually dull, one needs be open minded and keep craving, hungering, and thirsting after God, His will, His word, and everything else you can learn about Him.
I believing it’s important for a Christian to keep reading, and studying and learning about everything we can concerning spiritual matters. That will help keep our minds fresh, interested , involved and willing to serve.
#2) The Hebrew writer accused those spiritually dull readers he was writing to of being like a baby who was not ready for solid food. As you know, babies cannot feed themselves. They must be bottle fed or fed with a spoon. Part of spiritual ignorance is being spiritual laziness. They have to wait for someone to spoon feed them.
You should never totally depend on a preacher to feed you every spiritual meal you get. If you have a question, sometimes the best thing you can do is study and look for the answers on your own. Buy some books, look things up on the internet. Study out spiritual topics on your own or with a friend.
In Acts, we read that the Bereans were considered more noble than those in Thessalonica because they did not let Paul just spoon feed them, rather they went back and studied out what he told them on their own.
#3) Another thing that will help you stay on fire and keep you on your toes is to make it a goal in your Christian walk to be able to get to the point where you can lead or teaching others what you yourself have learned.
The Hebrew writer wrote, 12 You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word.”
If you don’t use and apply what you’ve learned, and if you don’t make an effort to teach others, then our worship and sermon time can easily go from something that should recharge and exhilarate you to become just another form of entertainment or another chore in your life.
4) And finally I also believe one essential thing that will help us from becoming spiritually dull is to put into practice what you have learned from God’s word; especially taking the time to show love and help others.
The Hebrew writer wrote, . 11 Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. 12 Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.”
The Hebrew writer also lets us know that’s there is a real danger of falling away. Many of us know people who have turned their back on Jesus, and His Church.
Don’t allow yourself or others to fall that far away. Make a real effort to stay spiritually connected to God, the Church, and your fellow Christians. If you don’t, over time you may just find yourself slipping away and growing spiritually dull.
This does not happen overnight. It can happen very slowly over time. I say, take steps so that it does not happen. Listen to good Christian music, Fellowship with believers inside and outside the church. Read your Bible and some good Christian books. Make plans to teach a class, and guys offer to preach on some Sunday. And choose to move on to maturity and grow as a Christian.
For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566
All comments can be emailed to: bfronzek@gmail.com

Does God Occupy the First Place in Our Lives? by Roy Davison

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Davison/Roy/Allen/1940/firstpla.html

Does God Occupy the First Place in Our Lives?

We need to ask ourselves this crucial question: Does God occupy the first place in my life?
As Creator, Sustainer and Source of all good, God deserves the first place in our lives.
Many are willing to serve God as long as it doesn’t cost them too much time or effort. They give God the crumbs of their lives, and - as far as they are concerned - He’ll just have to be satisfied with that. But He isn’t.
God never asks for more than we can give, but He does ask for the best we can give.
Under the old covenant, when people brought sacrifices to God, they were to offer Him only the very best. God did not accept a sacrifice that was second-rate or had flaws.
“When you offer the blind as a sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably? ... You also say, ‘Oh, what a weariness!’ ... And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?” (Malachi 1:8, 13). They kept the best for themselves and gave God what they wanted to be rid of anyway!
It was bad enough that they brought inferior offers, but they also complained: “What a drudgery!”
If serving God is a “weariness” to you, maybe you are just giving God the crumbs of your life, possibly from a sense of obligation or fear. But God is not pleased with scraps any more than you are. Giving God the plate-scrapings of your life can never bring the “joy of the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 1:6).
We must put God first in our hearts!
Jesus tells us: “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment” (Matthew 22:37, 38).
When we give God the place of highest honor in our hearts, we will also put Him first in our lives. We will offer Him the very best we have. And we will find joy in serving the Lord, instead of experiencing it as drudgery.
We must love God even more than family and friends.
Jesus said: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:37). 
Sometimes we are forced to choose between Christ and others. What if relatives or friends drop in as we are preparing to go to the assembly? Do we say: “We are going to worship God now. You are welcome to come along, or if you do not wish to do so, make yourself at home. We will be back in an hour or so.” Or do we think, “Too bad. Now I can’t go.”
How we react in such situations, shows who ranks highest in our hearts.
We must love God rather than the world.
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).
To love the world does not necessarily mean that we love bad things. It can simply be that we love the things of this world, that “the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches” are choking the word (Matthew 13:22). 
Among other things, this means that our love for God must be greater than our love for ourselves and our own enjoyment.
What if there is an exceptional opportunity to serve the Lord on a day we were planning to do something for our own enjoyment? Do we say: “I’m thankful for this great opportunity to serve the Lord.” Or do we say: “You know, I really feel bad about it, but I have a previous appointment.”
Is our free time so filled with “enjoying ourselves” that we have little time left for the Lord? If so, we are just giving God the crumbs. We love ourselves with all our heart, not God. And God is not pleased.
What if someone we know is in the hospital, but visiting hours are the same time as one of our favorite TV programs? Do we say: “I’m going to visit him this evening. He might need cheering up.” Or do we think: “What a shame that visiting hours are at such an inconvenient time! I’ll try to visit him tomorrow, or maybe next week.”
How does our Bible study time compare with our entertainment time?
Once when visiting a congregation, a brother took me to meet another brother in the Lord. After we knocked, he came nervously to the door and said: “Come on in. We’re watching such and such on TV.”
So we sat for about an hour watching TV. Finally, the brother I was with said: “Well, it’s getting late. I guess we need to be going.” Our “host” looked away from the TV just long enough to say: “Glad you dropped in. Come back anytime.” He didn’t even go with us to the door.
What do you think of the spiritual condition of someone like that? 
That rest and recreation are needed, is not being denied. We are discussing priorities and the difference between self-love and love for God and fellow man.
Once when Jesus’ disciples had just returned from a preaching trip, He told them: “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31).
Although they needed rest, as it turned out, something else became more important. “So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things” (Mark 6:32-34).
Notice that Jesus was moved with compassion. He had intended to have some time alone with His disciples for rest. But because He loved His fellow men, He put their welfare above His own comfort. He is, of course, the perfect example of how a man ought to put God first in his life.
There is only one first place.
We cannot give God, plus something else, first place in our lives. That is not possible. Jesus said: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).
If we think we can have two things in first place, we are deceiving ourselves. One or the other ultimately takes precedence in our lives.
Mammon is the god of money. We can’t serve God and money. Is serving God more important to you than earning money? The headache, or the fatigue, that keeps you from the assembly, would it also keep you from going to work? What if you are offered a job that pays much more money, but one that would keep you so busy you would have little time to serve the Lord?
How you make such decisions shows what is most important in your heart.
Are we like the little girl who received two coins, one for herself and one for the collection. After she accidentally dropped one of the coins down the storm drain, she said: “Oh no, there goes the Lord’s money!”
For God, lukewarm is not warm enough! 
“These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness the Beginning of the creation of God: ‘I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth’” (Revelation 3:14-16).
The danger of being lukewarm is that it is easy to believe you are all right. A lukewarm person thinks: “Well, at least I’m not cold.” But lukewarm isn’t warm enough for God. He will spew us out of His mouth unless we repent.
A Christian must be dedicated.
Being dedicated means to be fully committed.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). 
Christianity is not certain things you do, it is a way of doing everything. The Christian gives himself fully in service to God and his fellow man. God occupies the first place in his heart and in his actions.
Does this mean that we should be fanatics?
No. In Ecclesiastes 7:16 we are warned: “Do not be overly righteous, nor be overly wise: why should you destroy yourself?” 
There is a great difference between being fanatical and being dedicated. You want your family doctor to be dedicated, but not fanatical!
A fanatic is someone who has a blind, unreasoning and exaggerated zeal for something, accompanied by intolerance of others. Fanaticism is a form of arrogance. A fanatic exalts his own ideas, and will not even listen to the ideas of others.
A Christian must be patient, humble and caring. A fanatic is none of these. He is impatient, haughty and self-centered.
We must be dedicated, but not fanatical.
Christ expects us to be zealous in good works.
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works” (Titus 2:11-14).
Christ came to save us from sin. But it is not enough to avoid evil. We must be zealous in doing good.
Jesus said: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
How do we put God first in our lives? 
Because of our devotion, we are steadfast in Christian activities: “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). Steadfast means resolute and unwavering.
To continue steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine we must both know the Scriptures and put them into practice. To continue steadfastly in fellowship we must attend the services of the church and seek fellowship with other Christians. Each Sunday we must feast at the table of the Lord. We must continue steadfastly in prayer. All these activities are involved in putting the Lord first in our lives.
We put God first by serving others. Jesus came to serve, not to be served (Matthew 20:28). We want to be like Him. Jesus told His disciples: “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14).
The church is one body with each member’s function contributing to the well-being of the whole. Depending on our ability, we can visit the sick, help the poor, teach the gospel, help maintain the meeting place, or through other good works exalt God by serving others.
Does God occupy the first place in our lives? Do we give Him our best? Do we put Him first in our heart? Is our love for Him greater than our love for any other person or any thing? Is our love for Him greater than our love for ourselves and our own enjoyment? Are we dedicated, and zealous in good works? Do we give ourselves fully in service to God and man? Let us give God the highest position in our lives. Amen.

Roy Davison

The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982,
Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers unless indicated otherwise.
Permission for reference use has been granted.

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

The heart of the matter by Gary Rose



Over the weekend, there were more mass shootings, with over 20 people being killed. This is absolutely terrible. Today, I saw on the Internet that someone in Germany hacked a person to death in broad daylight with a sword (some reports say a Japanese one). And of course, there are the periodic stabbings in England. Each and every one of these acts are displays of barbarism and should be condemned by every human being on the planet.

While thinking about these things, I recalled what the Germans did to the Jews in the second world war and downloaded the picture above of a German soldier killing the last Jew in Vinica, Ukraine from a site dedicated to remembering the holocast. The Nazis killed Jews with Guns, by hanging and of course with Poison gas. Then there were the Japanese, who tortured many prisoners to death in the most horrific ways imaginable. When the Japanese were finally defeated, every one of them was forced to surrender their swords by General MacArthur (and the piles of them were enormous). What did they use those swords for - killing of course. I remember reading somewhere that 60+ million people died in the second world war; to me that number is unimaginable in its scope of evil. How could all the thing above be true? The heart of the matter is revealed in the passage below…


Genesis 4 ( World English Bible )
 1 The man knew Eve his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man with Yahweh’s help.”  2 Again she gave birth, to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.  3 As time passed, Cain brought an offering to Yahweh from the fruit of the ground. 4 Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh respected Abel and his offering, 5 but he didn’t respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell. 6 Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why has the expression of your face fallen?  7 If you do well, won’t it be lifted up? If you don’t do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it.”  8 Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.” While they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him.

  9  Yahweh said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” 

He said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 
  10  Yahweh said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries to me from the ground11 Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.  12 From now on, when you till the ground, it won’t yield its strength to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth.” 


The Genesis passage does not say how the murder was committed, but it certainly was NOT WITH A GUN. Cain could have killed Abel with a rock or some other object or even choked him to death (Choking seems to me to be the most likely, given the Cain’s anger).

In all of the murders mentioned there was a conscious decision to kill another human being (s). The instruments that were used to take life were not the problem, the heart was. Germans classified Jews as sub-humans and not genuine people, so they could be eliminated (nice word for murdered). In America, many in our society classify the unborn as fetal tissue and therefore justify abortion. Some say that they have a right to do whatever they wish with their own body, but this is ridiculous, for the DNA of the child is a combination of the mother AND the father and therefore not just the body of the mother.


So, what was going through the mind of those sick people who committed mass murder this weekend? Know one will ever know (unless they left some sort of communication telling us why). What I do know is that unless a person has been taught right from wrong and the genuine value of the life of every human being, this sort of action is possible. Godly instruction begins in the home and should continue in our educational system until adulthood. Where should this instruction be drawn from? The Holy Bible of course.