10/8/18

James (Part 9) Control What You Say By: Ben Fronczek James 3:1-12

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=1100

James (Part 9) Controling Your Tongue

James (Part 9) Control What You Say By: Ben Fronczek

James 3:1-12

I believe that one of man’s most powerful possessions are not the bombs we’ve developed, not our guns or battle ships, stealth flyers, nor any other implements of war. Rather I believe the most powerful thing that we possess are the words we speak from our mouth. Words spoken have not only sparked wars that led to thousands and thousands of deaths, the right words spoken also have led people to achieve amazing goals; from great physical feats to landing a spacecraft and walking on the moon.

Our words are powerful. They can create or destroy. They can encourage us to reach new heights, or plunges us into such a depressed state that some commit suicide or even harm others.

God’s words are super powerful. He spoke words and all creation was created, and He created us in His own image… with power in our words as well. So in today’s lesson from James chapter 3 we’ll see where James encourages us as Christians to keep a tight rein on, or control our tongue or the words that come out of our mouth.

Read James 3:1-12.

James 3:1-12 (NIV) “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”

I wonder if there were issues in James’s home growing up, or if his parents coming from a humble background taught their children to be careful about what they said. Earlier in this letter James wrote in 1:19, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,”

And here in this chapter I believe that he is emphasizing that when we do speak, we need to control our tongue.

In verse 3, he talks about putting a bit in a horse’s mouth. Why? Because when the rider pulls on that bit it presses down on the horse’s mouth and tongue and he can control that 1000 pound beast. It says, “3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.”

Verse 7 says that, “All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind,8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” To tame a beast here means to “changed from the wild or savage state; or to domesticate.”

We may not be able to tame our tongue like we tame an animal, but I believe with the Lord’s help we can bridle it, or control it just like a rider can control a powerful horse.

In verse 4, James also talks about how a boat, or even a big ship is controlled or steered. The pilot steers or controls that ship like a rider turns a horse with the use of a small rudder. I believe this text is emphasizing more of how the rider or the pilot can control the boat or the beast than it is about a little bit, or small rudder. As the pilot of our own body we likewise need to control our tongue just like the pilot and rider take control and steer their ride in the right direction.

David wrote in Psalm 39:1, “I said, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.”

James knew like David that there are times when we need to get what we say under control, we need to bridle or muzzle it, because what we say can do some real damage just like a spark igniting and forest fire. In vss 5 & 6 James writes, “Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”

I’ll never forget the time when I was a teen when fire swept through part of my parent’s property. My parent’s farm adjoined another farm at the rear, and beyond that farm was a road. Apparently someone flicked a cigarette butt out of their car window and it landed in some dry pasture grass. Well with the help of a breeze it wasn’t too long before the sparks in the cigarette became a small flame and before long it began to consume a huge dry hay field. Well flames swept across that big field in no time and then entered my parent’s property which was part field and part forest. Before the firemen could put a stop to the fire that fire not only burned a couple huge fields of grass, it also burned off 20-25 acres s of my parents land. And it all started because someone could not take proper care of a lit cigarette butt.

Likewise, loose, unbridled words you say and just thrown out not only can get you in trouble, they may also hurt or destroy someone else. I believe we are being encouraged to never under estimate the power of what we say.

As a matter of fact James even makes a point to warn those who want to teach or instruct others; because teachers will be judged more strictly. Before and as I prepare my lessons each week, I not only pray every day for God’s help, guidance, and wisdom as I prepare them, I also spend a lot of time researching the facts so I can be as accurate as possible when I present the lessons. Why? Because I know that I am responsible and will be held accountable for what I teach you.

…..No teacher should take this responsibility lightly.

As a matter of fact all of us should be careful of what we say to others.

So what about you? Do you have this problem. When you angry or upset do you rattle off all kinds of harsh and sometimes hurtful words. Do they just flow out of your mouth in frustration? Do you respond so quick that you don’t even know what you are going to say until it is already out of your mouth? And then after you said those words do you regret you ever said them.

James is instructing you to take control of that tongue of yours and what you say. And how do you do that?

Well the first bit of advice he gave in Chapter one is a good place to start. Rather than blasting people with our words, he said that we should first of all be ‘Quick to listen’, (in other words really take the time to listen to the other person, or get the whole story before you blast them.) He then instructed us to be ‘Slow to Speak’ (In other words wait, maybe even think about what you are going to say before you say it.) And finally he adds that we should also be ‘Slow to get angry.’ Why? Because we all know the kind of words that come out of our mouth when we are angry.

Solomon wrote: “Reckless words are like a sword.” Proverbs 12:18 ….What do swords do? Wound or kill.

He also wrote: “He who holds his tongue is wise.” Proverbs 10:19 25:11 says, “Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket.”

Your words if delivered in the right setting and at just the right time can be a treasure.

So are you still unsure how to get your mouth under control? In James chapter 1 he gives even more good advise. He writes, “5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

If you want to get your mouth and what you say under control ask God to help you get it under control. In a situation be QUICK to listen, SLOW to speak, SLOW to get angry, and pray that God will give you wisdom.

David said to God, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight.” Psalm 19:14

James wrote, “10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”

Take control of the reins. Take control of the rudder. And for God’s sake take control of your tongue. And I would also like to recommend that as much as possible we should season what we have to say with Love.

If you decide to control your tongue you can do it. It may take practice, determinations, and a lot of pray, but remember, you can do all things thru Christ who gives us strength.

Let the power that is in your words bring Glory to Lord.

In Proverbs Solomon wrote, “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life” (10:11a)

And In (18:4) “Wise words are like deep waters; wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook.” And like cool clean water such word of wisdom are refreshing.

David asks an interesting question in Psalm 15 and then answers it. Listen to what he says: “Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?” And here’s his answer…
2 Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts.3 Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.”

From this day forward, like James I am encouraging you to control what comes out of your mouth. Those words you speak have tremendous power, maybe more than you realize. And so I encourage you to use those words and that power to do good, encourage others and bring Glory to your Father in Heaven.

For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

If You Love Me, Keep My Commandments by Alfred Shannon Jr.

https://biblicalproof.wordpress.com/2011/05/page/5/

If You Love Me, Keep My Commandments

Thus Saith The Lord,
Ye call Me Light, and see Me not;
Ye call Me Word, and hear Me not;
Ye call Me Wise, and understand Me not;
Ye call Me Way, and follow Me not;
Ye call Me Truth, and believe Me not;
Ye call Me Life, and desire Me not;
Ye call Me Messiah, and honor me not;
Ye call Me Mighty, and fear Me not;
Ye call Me Master, and obey Me not;
Ye call Me Love, and keep Me not;
If I condemn You, blame Me not.

Jn 8:12; Jn 1:1; Rom 11:34; Jn 14:6; Jn 1:41; Isa 9:6; Jn 13:13; 1 Jn 4:8; Jn 14:15

JUDE by Paul Southern

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Southern/Paul/1901/jude.html

JUDE

THE TITLE

The epistle is named for the writer, Jude.

THE WRITER

The writer signs his name as "Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James" (1). It is generally agreed that he was a brother of the Lord (Mat 13:55), and therefore not one of the apostles, for the brethren of the Lord did not believe on Jesus until after the resurrection (Jn 7:5; Acts 1:13-22). However, a few expositors try to identify the writer of this epistle as "Judas (Thaddeus) the brother of James," one of the twelve apostles (Lk 6:16; Jn 14:22). Since Jude does not call himself an apostle, we are inclined to believe that he was not.

TO WHOM ADDRESSED

Although the letter is addressed to Christians in general, "To them that are called, beloved in God the father, and kept for Jesus Christ" (1), it was likely intended at first for Jewish Christians in Palestine. Several allusions presuppose an acquaintance with Old Testament scriptures and Jewish traditions. Some critics believe that the epistle was sent to Antioch in Syria and that it was intended for both Jewish and Gentile Christians.

TIME AND PLACE OF WRITING

There is no suggestion concerning the place of origin, but critics estimate that it was written about A.D. 66. Evidently it was written before A.D. 70 when Jerusalem was destroyed, for Jude would certainly have mentioned that event along with the other persecutions given.

PURPOSE AND CONTENTS

False teachers among the brethren were teaching heresies in the congregational meetings. Some of the men were also immoral in conduct. Jude wrote to expose their immoralities and heresies, urging Christians "to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints" (3). This epistle and the second chapter of II Peter are very similar. Some think that Jude wrote first, but in our present state of knowledge it is impossible to reach a definite conclusion regarding the matter. A distinctive feature of the book is the writer's fondness for triplet expressions. It is somewhat terse and picturesque. Alford describes it as an "impassioned invective with epithet on epithet, image on image." The stern warnings concerning the fate of wicked disturbers give some the impression that the writer was a harsh character with little or no pathos. This criticism, however, overlooks the fact that the writer was discussing a very serious problem as he was guided by the Holy Spirit. Some of the words have a definite poetic ring.

EXERCISES FOR STUDENT ACTIVITY

Complete the following triplets:

The threefold salutation: "…to them that are ________, _________ in God the Father, and ___________ for Jesus Christ."
The threefold benediction: "____________ unto you and __________ and _________ be multiplied."
Three examples of divine retribution: "…the Lord, having saved a ________ out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And __________ that kept not their own principality, …he hath kept…unto the judgment…Even as __________ and __________…suffering the punishment of eternal fire."
Three types of wickedness: "They went in the way of __________, and ran riotously in the error of _____________ for hire, and perished in the gainsaying of ___________."
Three classes of evil-doers: "these are ___________, _____________, __________ after their own lusts."
Three exhortations to Christians: They are to build up themselves in the most holy faith by "____________ in the Holy Spirit, __________ yourselves in the love of God, ______________ for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."
Three expressions of Christian service toward the erring: "And on some have _____________, who are in doubt; and some ___________, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have _____________ with fear."
Doxology: "…_______________ all time, and _____________, and __________."

Topics for further study

List all the things said about evil workers.
What does the epistle teach concerning angels?
Summarize the teaching of the epistle regarding the punishment of sin.
What had the apostles foretold concerning false teachers described by Jude?

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

A song, a heartache and a prayer request by Gary Rose

Yesterday morning I found myself singing this song to myself as I was taking my dog pal for his morning walk. I thought of my eldest granddaughter (for whom I wrote this song in 1989). When I had finished a few of the stanzas, I stopped because I felt sad. You see, several years ago, she joined a religious group that strongly discourages association with anyone outside their fellowship. I haven’t heard from her in a long time, neither has my wife, her mother and brothers and sisters. I have never even seen our one and only great granddaughter. Now, you understand why I felt sad.

The Scriptures say…

John 3 (WEB)

¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him. ¹⁸ He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. (emphasis added) ¹⁹ This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. ²⁰ For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn’t come to the light, lest his works would be exposed. ²¹ But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God.”

Human being make choices. Choices have consequences. When it comes to decisions about Jesus, there are eternal results. To this very day I love my granddaughter very much, but she has made a terrible choice. Since the group she is affiliated with does not accept the deity of Jesus, she also has made a decision concerning the Savior. I pray that she will come to her senses and acknowledge him for who HE really is and be saved from whatever sin she may have committed. Please pray for her.

Because…

Acts 4 (WEB)

⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “You rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, ⁹ if we are examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, ¹⁰ be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, in him does this man stand here before you whole. ¹¹ He is ‘the stone which was regarded as worthless by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner.’ ¹² There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved!”(emphasis added)

ps. Although I sang this song to the hymn “Jesus loves you” to my granddaughter in 1989, it was not until 2011 that it was put into music notation. Many thanks to Alan Mullins for helping me with this!!!!

10/5/18

"THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY" Remember The Resurrection Of Jesus (2:8) by Mark Copeland

"THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY"

Remember The Resurrection Of Jesus (2:8)

INTRODUCTION

1. As Paul continued to encourage Timothy, he reminded him of Jesus...
   a. Who had been born of the seed of David
   b. Who was raised from the dead according to his gospel
   -- I.e., in the midst of hardship remember that Jesus Himself
      suffered much, yet overcame through His glorious resurrection from
      the dead - 2Ti 2:8; cf. He 12:2-3

2. The fact of Jesus' resurrection is very important to the Christian...
   a. Certainly as inspiration to persevere in the midst of hardship
   b. But there are other reasons why we should "remember" and never
      stop believing in it

[While we may not suffer hardship like Paul or Timothy, it is imperative
that Christians "Remember The Resurrection Of Jesus".  For reasons why,
consider first some implications...]

I. IF JESUS WAS NOT RAISED FROM THE DEAD

   A. PREACHING THE GOSPEL WOULD BE IN VAIN...
      1. The preaching of the apostles would have been empty,
         meaningless - 1Co 15:14
      2. There would be no purpose in preaching about a lie today

   B. OUR FAITH WOULD BE VAIN...
      1. Our belief in Christ would also be empty, meaningless

          - 1Co 15:14
      2. For our faith would be in a lie

   C. THE APOSTLE WERE FALSE WITNESSES...
      1. An implication admitted to by Paul - 1Co 15:15
      2. For they swore that God raised Jesus from the dead - e.g.,

          Ac 2:32
      3. They claimed to spend 40 days with Him after the resurrection,
         eating and drinking with Him - cf. Ac 10:39-41
      4. There is no way they could have been deceived or mistaken;
         either they told the truth or they were deliberate liars,
         deceivers, and frauds!

   D. WE ARE STILL IN OUR SINS...
      1. Our faith would be futile and we would still be sinners

           - 1Co 15:17
      2. For it would have been a liar or lunatic that died on the cross
      3. And no such person could have provided a sacrifice that was
         holy and without blemish

   E. BELIEVERS WHO HAVE SINCE DIED HAVE PERISHED...
      1. Those who had died believing in Christ - 1Co 15:18
      2. Their faith would have been in a false Messiah
      3. They would have had no atonement for their sins
      4. Dying in their sins, there would be no hope

   F. CHRISTIANS ARE TO BE PITIED...
      1. If their hope in Christ relates only to this life

          - cf. 1Co  15:19
      2. Because we believe in a false Messiah
      3. Because our faith in Him leads us to refrain from much worldly
         pleasure
      4. Because we are often ridiculed or persecuted for our faith

[Such are the implications if Jesus did not rise from the dead.  Now
let's review the implications of Jesus' resurrection which should
encourage us to always "remember" it...]

II. THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS FROM THE DEAD

   A. VERIFIES OUR JUSTIFICATION...
      1. Note Paul's mention of this consequence of the resurrection
         - Ro 4:24-25
      2. Jesus claimed His blood would be adequate for the remission of
         our sin - Mt 26:28
      3. By raising Jesus from the dead, God demonstrated His acceptance
         of Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins! - cf. Ro 8:33-34

   B. DEMONSTRATES GOD'S POWER TOWARD US...
      1. The greatness of which Paul wanted Christians to know

          - cf. Ep 1:18-20
      2. Power involved in our conversion, raising us to a new life - Co
         2:11-12; 1Pe 3:21
      2. Power available to live the Christian life, for God is at work
         in us - Php 2:12-13; 4:13; Ep 3:20; 6:10

   C. PROVIDES HOPE CONCERNING OUR OWN RESURRECTION...
      1. His resurrection gives us a living hope! - 1Pe 1:3,21
      2. Especially concerning the resurrection of believers!

          - cf. 1 Th 4:13-14

   D. DEMANDS OUR COMPLETE LOYALTY TO JESUS...
      1. He died and rose again that He might Lord of the dead and
         living - Ro 14:9
      2. He was raised and then exalted to become our Lord - Ac 2:32-36;
         Ep 1:20-23
      3. Thus our lives and service belong to Him - Ro 14:7-8; 2Co 5:15

CONCLUSION

1. The Christian must never lose sight of the significance of the
   resurrection of Jesus...
   a. It is the foundation upon which our faith and hope is based
   b. Deny the resurrection of Jesus, and we are no longer Christians

2. The reality of the resurrection of Jesus is very important to the
   minister of the gospel...
   a. No one can deny Jesus' resurrection and claim to be a minister of
      Christ
   b. Those suffering hardship can take comfort knowing that Jesus also
      suffered and rose again

Will we be sure to "Remember The Resurrection Of Jesus", and live our
lives accordingly...?

Only True Christianity is Defensible by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=3585

Only True Christianity is Defensible

by	Kyle Butt, M.Div.

Recently I was involved in a very productive discussion with two atheists. They were in their early thirties, intelligent, and extremely well spoken. We arranged the meeting to discuss why they had chosen to adopt atheism, and reject God and Christianity. In the course of the two-hour discussion, it became clear that many of their complaints about “Christianity” were legitimate. In fact, I heartily agreed with a host of their lengthy refutations of, and rebuttals to, “Christianity.” Lest I mislead the reader, however, let me explain. Notice that I have put in quotation marks the “Christianity” against which they railed, because the term demands qualification. Much of the “Christianity” that so incensed these young men involved gross misrepresentations of God and heinous misinterpretations of the Bible. For instance, during the discussion, one of the men explained that if, according to John Calvin’s views, God arbitrarily chose some people to be saved and some to be lost, regardless of their choices, then God would be unjust. He explained this point in detail for several minutes. After listening attentively to his astute refutation of Calvinism, I completely agreed with him, but noted that Calvinism is not true Christianity. It seemed that since Calvinism had been so inseparably bound-up in many “brands” of “Christianity” to which this young man had been exposed, he was taken aback that any “Christian” would so readily agree with his assessment of its evident flaws.

The discussion with these men, coupled with a critical reading of the atheistic community’s primary authors, has impressed upon my mind the fact that skeptical writers have a knack for exposing pseudo-Christianity for the error that it truly is. Unfortunately, skeptics often use the pseudo-Christianity and misinterpretations of the Bible that they so adequately debunk as straw men that they insist represent true Christianity. In truth, they certainly do not. It is a useful study, however, to notice several areas of biblical misinterpretation and un-Christian beliefs that skeptics have correctly identified as flawed.

THEISTIC EVOLUTION IS INDEFENSIBLE

In 2006, David Mills authored a book titled Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person’s Answer to Christian Fundamentalism. Much of the material in that book is incorrect. But chapter six, titled “Can Genesis Be Reconciled with Modern Science?” has some trenchant things to say about those who claim to believe the Bible but try to bend its interpretation to jibe with modern evolutionary findings. At the beginning of the chapter, Mills stated:

According to Genesis, God made Adam and Eve on the sixth day of Creation Week. The Genesis genealogies then detail the exact ages at which Adam and his male descendants “begat” their own male offspring. The New Testament books of Matthew and Luke [NOTE: Matthew and Luke actually do not give ages—KB] then continue the genealogy from David to Jesus, again specifying the age at which each male descendent “begat” the next generation. Since we have a fixed “historical” time period for Jesus’ birth, creationists thereby calculate that the heavens and Earth were created by God in the year 4004 B.C. Earth, therefore, is only 6000 years old by biblical chronology. [NOTE: Although Mills is correct about the general age of 6,000 years, the chronology is not so precise as to nail down the exact date of 4004 B.C.—KB.] Despite widely divergent viewpoints, creationists and evolutionary biologists agree on a crucial fact: Six-thousand years is insufficient time for evolution to have produced the complex life-forms we observe on Earth today.... A 6000-year-old Earth means therefore that Genesis and the Theory of Evolution are forever irreconcilable (p. 137).

Mills further noted:

If Earth’s history began with Creation Week, and if Genesis provides an accurate historical record, then Earth had no prehistoric eras, no prehistoric peoples, and no prehistoric animals. Dinosaurs walked the Earth only a few thousand years ago, side-by-side with modern man (p. 141).

Mills went on to write: “If creationists now wish to abandon their historical position and acquiesce to an ancient Earth, then I applaud their progress. But it is a farce to maintain that Genesis never really demanded a young Earth since the genealogies were always intended as metaphors” (p. 148, emp. added).

Regarding those who attempt to compromise the literal nature of Genesis and accept both the Bible and evolution, Mills wrote: “Citing the Day-Age theory, these Great Pretenders make believe that Genesis actually describes an ancient Earth. The purpose of this pompous intellectual charade is to allow the Great Pretenders to ‘have it both ways’—imagining themselves to be both religious and scientific at the same time” (p. 151). In what sounds exactly like a young Earth apologist’s writings, Mills then commented: “In seeming anticipation and preemptive rebuttal of the Day-Age theory, however, the Book of Genesis itself provides a clear and specific definition of Creation Week...‘the evening and the morning’ were a day—a literal 24-hour day” (p. 151).

Mills is exactly right in regard to the fact that a compromise of the Genesis account of Creation is indefensible and illogical. He does an excellent job of showing that the special pleading needed to warp the text of Genesis into agreement with modern evolutionary ideas cannot stand critical scrutiny. He concludes correctly that: “A 6000-year-old Earth means therefore that Genesis and the Theory of Evolution are forever irreconcilable” (p. 137). Those who compromise the text of Genesis in an attempt to force it to agree with modern evolutionary teachings have gotten it wrong, and would do well to listen to Mills’ criticism of their inaccurate interpretation.

Unfortunately, Mills leaves his critical thinking at the doorstep of his correct assessment that the Bible and evolutionary theory are irreconcilable. He incorrectly reasons that the Bible has been wrong all along and that evolution is the true creative agent of our planet. We have shown repeatedly that such simply cannot be the case (cf. Jackson, et al., 2008), and Mills and other atheists would do well to apply the same critical thinking to the false evolutionary theory as they so aptly apply to indefensible compromises of the biblical text.

INHERITED SIN

Many people who consider themselves Christians today have accepted the idea that humans are born with a sinful nature. These religious people believe that sin can be inherited from one’s ancestors, and that every human, even infants, deserve death due to their inherently sinful nature. The Bible, however, nowhere teaches such a doctrine. Thus, when atheists and skeptics seize on this false interpretation of Scripture, they correctly insist that such a teaching would manifest a contradiction in the nature of the God of the Bible.

Christopher Hitchens, in his discussion of Christ’s death on the cross, wrote:

Furthermore, I am required to believe that the agony was necessary in order to compensate for an earlier crime in which I also had not part, the sin of Adam.... Thus my own guilt in the matter is deemed “original” and inescapable. However, I am still granted free will with which to reject the offer of vicarious redemption (2007, p. 209, italics in orig.).

Hitchens correctly concluded that such an idea “negates the moral and reasonable idea that the children are innocent of their parent’s offenses” (p. 99). Richard Dawkins weighed in on the idea as well: “The sin of Adam and Eve is thought to have passed down the male line—transmitted in the semen according to Augustine. What kind of ethical philosophy is it that condemns every child, even before it is born, to inherit the sin of a remote ancestor?” (Dawkins, 2006, p. 251, emp. added).

Hitchens, Dawkins, and numerous other atheistic writers correctly conclude that a god who condemns children because they inherited their ancestors’ sins would be an unjust being unworthy of worship. The biblical portrait of God, however, is not of such a cruel, unjust being. In fact, it is the exact opposite. The Bible points out in unambiguous terms that children do not inherit the sins or guilt of their ancestors. The prophet Ezekiel wrote: “The one who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself” (18:20). It has been shown repeatedly and beyond doubt that the Bible never indicates that children inherit sin or guilt from their parents (Butt, 2004), nor do children ever suffer any type of spiritual punishment as a result of the sins of their parents (Butt, 2003). While it is the case that children often suffer physical consequences of their parents’ wrong choices, such as when a drunken father abuses his children, it is not the case that those children bear any of the father’s spiritual guilt or inherit any of their parents’ sin.

One can completely understand why the skeptical community would be aghast at a being who would cast innocent babies into hell as punishment for the sins of their parents. Yet, a correct interpretation of the Bible shows that such is not the case. While it is sad that many religious people have falsely taught such a view, their false teaching on the subject, and the skeptics’ acceptance of that false teaching as a correct interpretation of the Bible, cannot be used as a legitimate weapon to impugn the character of the God of the Bible.

WRONG DEFINITION OF FAITH

It is unfortunate for Christianity that some who call themselves Christians completely misunderstand the basic concept of faith. For many in Christendom, faith is a warm feeling in their hearts when they have failed to find adequate evidence to justify their beliefs. Modern dictionaries have done much to engrain this false definition of faith into modern Christianity. For instance, Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary states that faith is “a firm belief in something for which there is no proof” (1988). The American Heritage Dictionary gives as a primary definition of faith: “belief that does not rest on logical or material evidence” (2000, p. 636). The idea that faith is a warm, fuzzy feeling divorced from logical thinking and separated from all “material evidence” does not coincide with what the Bible actually says about faith (cf. Sztanyo, 1996). As Sztanyo correctly noted: “There is not a single item in Christianity, upon which our souls’ salvation depends, that is only ‘probably’ true. In each case, the evidence supplied is sufficient to establish conclusive proof regarding the truth of the Christian faith” (1996, p. 7).

The false view that faith is “a leap in the dark” without adequate evidence provides the skeptical community plenty of fodder for their atheistic, anti-Bible cannons—and rightly so. If believing in God, or the divine inspiration of the Bible, or the deity of Jesus Christ is not established by rational, logical evidence, then those ideas are as unworthy of belief as the unprovable ideas of atheism and evolution. Knowing the inconsistency of such a false definition of faith, Sam Harris wrote: “In fact, every religion preaches the truth of propositions for which no evidence is even conceivable. This put the ‘leap’ in Kierkegaard’s leap of faith” (Harris, 2004, p. 23, italics in orig.). Christopher Hitchens, building on the “leap of faith” idea, opined:

Actually, the “leap of faith”—to give it the memorable name that Soren Kierkegaard bestowed on it—is an imposture. As he himself pointed out, it is not a “leap” that can be made once and for all. It is a leap that has to go on and on being performed, in spite of mounting evidence to the contrary (2007, p. 65).

In his analysis of religion, Richard Dawkins quipped: “The whole point of religious faith, its strength and chief glory, is that it does not depend on rational justification” (2006, p. 23, emp. added). Because of his belief that biblical faith is belief without rational justification, Dawkins concluded: “We believe in evolution because the evidence supports it, and we would abandon it overnight if new evidence arose to disprove it. No real fundamentalist would ever say anything like that” (p. 283). What Dawkins really means to say is that no fundamentalist who has adopted the concept that faith does not depend on rational justification would abandon his or her belief if evidence were provided to the contrary. But if his definition of faith is wrong, then he is incorrect to conclude that those who believe in God, the divine inspiration of the Bible, and the deity of Christ would not alter their views based on the evidence. In fact, according to a proper definition of biblical faith, it is only because of the rational justification and logical evidence available that true Christians hold to their beliefs.

When Dawkins states, “Christianity, just as much as Islam, teaches children that unquestioned faith is a virtue. You don’t have to make the case for what you believe” (p. 306), he manifests his lack of knowledge of what biblical faith is. Biblical faith is based completely and solely on truth and reason, as the apostle Paul succinctly stated in Acts 26:25. The prophet Isaiah underscored this fundamental truth about biblical faith when He recorded God’s invitation to the Israelites: “‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the Lord” (1:18). Luke, in his introduction to the book of Acts, pressed the point that Jesus’ resurrection was attested by “many infallible proofs” (1:3). For one to believe in the resurrection requires faith, based on infallible proofs.

Sam Harris wrote: “It is time that we admitted that faith is nothing more than the license religious people give one another to keep believing when reasons fail” (Harris, 2006, p. 67). Harris’ accusation is justified when it is applied to false religions, and to those who attempt to defend Christianity without providing a logical, rational justification for their belief. But his allegations, and similar sentiments from Dawkins, Hitchens, and other atheists, are wholly inadequate to attack true, biblical faith. Sadly, too many self-proclaimed Christians open the door for the skeptical community to bash Christian “faith,” when, in reality, the “faith” that is being destroyed was never biblical in the first place.

MODERN MIRACLES

It is often the case that “Christianity” is abused by modern skeptics due to the tendency of many in Christendom to claim that the Holy Spirit continues to work miracles today just as He did during New Testament times. Atheist Dan Barker wrote about the time that he was thrown out of “Peter Popoff’s ‘miracle’ rally” (1992, p. 291). Barker wrote that Popoff “grabbed a woman’s head, deliberately mussed up her hair, shook her and pronounced her healed” (p. 293). During Popoff’s healing antics, Barker noted, “The audience punctuated his ‘healings’ by loudly speaking in tongues, raising their arms, shaking, crying, and hollering ‘Amen,’ ‘Thank you, Jesus!’ and ‘Hallelujah!’ It had the feel of one of those professional wrestling matches on TV” (p. 293).

Barker’s assessment of the event was, “It was comical; and it was sad. The man was practicing medicine without a license, raising false hopes and endangering lives. (Many of his believers have discarded medicine or cancelled doctor’s appointments.) I remember having participated in meetings just like this when I was a full-gospel evangelist, and I was ashamed” (p. 294). Barker’s caustic assessment of Popoff’s “faith healing scam” is accurate in many ways. As Barker admitted, he at one time in his past participated in many false-healing events, and thus he knows the inherent dishonesty involved in such deceptive shenanigans. Here again the skeptical community has logically and correctly concluded that such faith healings are not valid. As David Mills wrote: “If God has the power to miraculously cure others (though invariably in a vague and uncertain way), why doesn’t God ever help amputees?” (2006, p. 161).

Mills is right to surmise that if the miraculous power that was available during the time of the apostles is still available today, as many Christians erroneously teach and believe, then miracles that can be empirically verified like the healing of amputees should be documented. After all, even the enemies of the apostles had to admit that the miracles worked by the apostles were empirically verifiable: “For indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it” (Acts 4:16).

In truth, the skeptical community does an excellent job of showing that such “faith healing” events are emotionally charged frenzies that do not produce legitimate medical results. The problem arises, however, when the skeptical community tries to lump all Christians into this mold, or attempts to use these verifiably false miracles to discount the possibility of any type of miracle at any time in history. The fact of the matter is, the Bible predicted that the miraculous power that was available to the apostles would come to an end, and would not continue throughout the ages until modern times (Miller, 2003). Furthermore, it has been repeatedly and definitively shown that such false miracles sustain no argumentative value against the historical legitimacy of true miracles recorded in the Bible, such as the resurrection of Christ (Butt, 2002).

CONCLUSION

Mortimer J. Adler once stated, “Christianity is the only logical, consistent faith in the world” (as quoted in Sharp and Bergman, 2008, p. 288). Unfortunately, the truth of his statement is often obscured by the copious, false philosophies and inaccurate biblical interpretations that masquerade as Christianity. Calvinism, theistic evolution, inherited sin, misdefined faith, and a belief in modern-day miraculous healings are just a few of the obstacles standing in the way of a proper understanding of New Testament Christianity. To this list could be added hundreds of similar ideas fraught with error such as the unscriptural concepts of purgatory, limbo, modern-day Divine inspiration, the perseverance of the saints, and a plethora of ridiculous “predictions” supposedly rooted in the biblical text of Revelation. Those who genuinely wish to defend the validity of New Testament Christianity must be willing and able to assess the writings of modern skeptics, separating the wheat from the chaff. By acknowledging the mistakes that are inherent in false concepts of “Christianity,” the honest-hearted truth seeker can be led to see that such foibles and errors do not mar authentic, defensible Christianity.

REFERENCES

American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (2000), (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin), fourth edition.

Barker, Dan (1992), Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist (Madison, WI: Freedom From Religion).

Butt, Kyle (2002), “Jesus Christ—Dead or Alive?” Reason & Revelation, http://apologeticspress.org/articles/121.

Butt, Kyle (2003), “Do Babies Go to Hell When They Die?” http://apologeticspress.org/articles/2255.

Butt, Kyle (2004), “Do Children Inherit the Sins of the Parents?” http://apologeticspress.org/articles/2543.

Dawkins, Richard (2006), The God Delusion (New York: Houghton Mifflin).

Harris, Sam (2004), The End of Faith (New York: W.W. Norton).

Harris, Sam (2006), Letter to a Christian Nation (New York: Alfred A. Knopf).

Hitchens, Christopher (2007), god Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything (New York: The Twelve).

Jackson, Wayne, Eric Lyons and Kyle Butt (2008), Surveying the Evidence (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press).

Miller, Dave (2003), “Modern Day Miracles, Tongue-Speaking and Holy Spirit Baptism—A Refutation,” Reason & Revelation, http://apologeticspress.org/articles/2569.

Mills, David (2006), Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person’s Answer to Christian Fundamentalism(Berkeley, CA: Ulysses Press).

Sharp, Doug and Jerry Bergman, eds. (2008), Persuaded by the Evidence (Green Forest, AR: Master Books).

Sztanyo, Dick (1996), Faith and Reason (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press).

Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary (1988), (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster).