When Adam Met Eve: Relationship Advice from Genesis

Part 1: Adam and Eve

"The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Genesis 2:18

What a better way to start with ancient relationship advice than with the first couple, Adam and Eve.

It is interesting  to start with the fact that Adam was not alone, technically speaking.  He had all the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and all the beasts of the field to rule over and perhaps more importantly, the unmediated and unadulterated presence of God with him in the Garden.  Should not God be more than enough for Adam?  God doesn't think so.

But what this doesn't mean is that every man needs to be married for "it is not good for him to be alone".  Adam's situation is unlike any others; He is not alone because he has no wife, but because there is no other human being on the planet.  There is no one like him in all the Earth and this is what God realizes when he deems Adam "alone".  Whether or not Adam ever felt loneliness in the garden, we do not know, however in God's foresight and wisdom he circumvents any loneliness that might be had by Adam.

We see for the first time in the creation account that God calls something lo tov, not good.  Dry land?  Good. Vegetation? Good.  Sun, moon, and stars? Good.  Fish and birds?  Good. Land animals?  Good.  Man and woman + everything else?  Very Good. Man alone?  Not good.  Why is this so?

Mary Shelley in the novel "Frankenstein" might have an answer.  The real monster in her book is not the creation, but the creator Victor Frankenstein, who made only one unique creation and abandons him.  The monster is not even given a name and thus robbed of an identity.  The monster at one point refers to himself as "the Adam of your labors" and is intelligent and compassionate but rejected for his appearance.  Lonely due to his rejection and his finding that no one else is like him, he demands that Dr. Frankenstein make him a female counterpart because it is his right as a living being to be happy.  Frankenstein starts the new gruesome project but abandons it, dooming the monster to a life of bitter loneliness, upon which he takes revenge by murdering Frankenstein's own wife.  The monster's sole purpose for living now is vengeance for the betrayal of his creator, certainly not a path God would have Adam walk.

Curiously in both Genesis and Shelley's novel, what is made is not another Adam, but a "helper suitable for him."  God could have easily decided to go with another Adam to tend the garden to help the first if he simply thought it was too much work for one person to handle.  But the  עֵ֖זֶר כְּנֶגְדּֽוֹ he decided to make is both similar and radically different than the first.  The phrase "helper suitable for him" in Hebrew is more of a helper that is his counterpart, his opposite and complement.  This helper is now called "woman", but what exactly does she help Adam do?

Genesis 1:28 contains a blessing that may give us insight, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."  Two things Eve helps Adam with, first, being fruitful and secondly ruling over the earth and subduing it.  Interestingly, these are both things God could have done himself.  Where he made one man out of the dust of the earth, he could have made 1,000,000 to fill it.  Where God gave the right to rule to man and woman, he could have easily ruled it Himself.  Actually, He does do these things through His image in the Earth, namely man and woman.  

A God is inhabits a place in the physical realm only through his image and mankind is that establishment of God's presence in His creation.  Eve acknowledges that it is God working through her body and the union with her husband that bears her children. (Gen 4:1 "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.")  Thus God helps her to do that which she was meant to do (of course Adam helped her to "fill the earth" as well, but his role is downplayed here.)  She realizes intuitively that life does not come out of nowhere.  Even with the understanding we have today that a sperm and an egg create a zygote, we still have no idea why that process should make something that is alive other than that God wills it to do so.  God fills the earth through Adam and Eve. God subdues it and rules over it through Adam and Eve for they are his image in the world.  It is only with this understanding of the nature of Adam and Eve's relationship that we can develop foundational knowledge for how relationships should work today.  Ultimately, Eve's purpose is to help Adam to be an image of God in the world so that together God might work through them to accomplish His purposes for them and His will in the world.

They are of one flesh, one purpose, and animated by the same Spirit.  A woman's purpose is to help her man do what God has called him to do, to be a partner with him in ministry.  The very nature of a marriage relationship is to minister together in a complementary way.  Where one is weak, the other is strong so that as a unit they share only the strengths and none of the weaknesses in ministry.

As a side note, when I say complementary, I do not mean to imply Complementarian in its strictest form.  Nor do I hold to Egalitarian views.  Men and women are not the same, they are complementary as God has made them that way.  However, they are similar enough that Adam, upon seeing Eve, exclaims that she is "bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh", instantly recognizing her as one like himself.  Both show the image of God and are equal partners in "filling the earth and subduing it", but take complementary roles in doing so.  I do believe women can teach and preach and that men can run a children's ministry if that is their gifting, but the emphasis is that men and women together are complementing each other as they minister together.  I am not so certain that the Holy Spirit discriminates with his giftings.  Also, men are not meant to rule over women.  This is a result of the fall and indicates that it was not this way from the beginning.  If it were not so, God may as well have said "Because of this the sky will be blue and fish will swim in the sea."  Men and women are of equal standing but complementary roles.  There are naturally some things men are better at and some things women are better at, but when we are dealing with gifts given by the Spirit, one's gender need not apply for it is God doing the work (e.g. men are not naturally better at prophesying than women or vice-versa as God chooses whom He wills to prophesy).

As a son of Adam or daughter of Eve, the lesson here is to find a spouse who complements your calling.  If one is called to be a missionary in Libya but you know your calling to be one as a pastor in LA, it probably won't work out.  If you are a gifted theologian and your wife is a brilliant preacher, you have found a good complementary partner.  Other examples might include:  You play an instrument and your spouse has a beautiful voice, you have a passion for teenagers and your spouse teaches in a high school, etc.  Oftentimes, God puts a man and a woman together for the sole purpose that they might have many opportunities to minister together because it is God who uses his image to minister to the world.

Taken from another angle, Adam and Eve were meant to fill the Earth by procreation and in doing so fill the Earth with God's glory, which dwells in his image.  However after the fall, this original blessing turned into a curse as Adam and Eve's offspring no longer were clothed with God's glory but with wickedness and unrighteousness so that the whole Earth was filled with wickedness (Gen 6:5) that it eventually had to be flooded save for Noah and his family.  Even Adam and Eve who were once clothed with God's glory and felt no shame exchanged it for fig leaves and animal skins.

With the redemption of the image of man by Jesus Christ, all those who are in Him could once again fill the world with God's glory through the bearing of children, although not physical.  A Christian family, as hard as they try, cannot guarantee theirs kids will grow up in Christ as they must make their own decision to follow.  However, once they do, they are baptized and "born again" as spiritual children dead to sin but alive to Christ.  What's more is that this producing of "children" can be done not only by married couples, but by single people as well, and arguably more effectively.  Listen to what Paul says to the Corinthians:

 "14 I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church." (1 Cor 4:14-17 italics mine)

But married couples today still have the call to bear children who reflect God's glory and are being transformed into his image.  Their ministry is to their own children and to those around them as well.  Even if you do not serve in an official ministry position, if you are married with kids your ministry is to your family and you need a spouse who can adequately help you raise spiritual children both inside and outside of the home.  A man and a woman are always a team and must learn how to work together to accomplish God's purposes for them and God's will in the world.

Is Halloween demonic or sinful?

Halloween's original name, All Hallow's Eve, is the day before All Hallows Day, that is All Saints Day (The same as Christmas Eve).  However, it is true society has taken it and made it into something different (hardly anyone realizes there is an actual holiday after All Hallow's Eve). Trivia:  Reformation Day is also on Oct. 31.

There are as much grounds for saying Halloween is demonic because of what
the culture has made it into as there is in saying Christmas is demonic because it has been corrupted by consumerism, greed and over consumption.  Christmas is a Holiday>Holy Day> Hallowed Day as much as Halloween is a Hallowed day.  (BTW, The Sabbath day is another Holy day)

Is the celebration of Halloween Sin?  Sure, it can be if God is not remembered and honored, but that applies to all things.  However, I think we would go a bit to far in calling this day "demonic" and evil.  We need to understand how evil demons truly are.  They kill, steal, and destroy.  They are murderous liars whose only goal is to lead people into destruction by deceit.  They try to make people forget God and worship them.  You are underestimating the power of demons if you think Halloween comes anywhere close to the realm of the demonic.  If you think Halloween is evil then I doubt you know what evil truly is.  The Holocaust?  The Killing fields?  The Betrayal of Christ? The Fall of Man? Child Sacrifice?  Evil.  Dressing up in costumes and trick-or-treating?  Not so much.

If your objection is that you do not awnt to be like the world and celebrate Halloween, then don't! You don't have to celebrate like the pagans do if  that makes you uncomfortable, but Christ did call us to be in the world and not separate from it.  You're not going to see me in satanic  regalia, but if I decide to dress up like Martin Luther so I can hang  out with my non-Christian friends at parties, is that wrong?  Even Jesus was friends with sinners, and Paul became all things to all people so that he might save some.  As a Christian, I feel I am well within the freedom Christ has given me through his grace.  Until we are in heaven, Christians walk the fine line between Heaven and Hell and it is only the grace of God the Holy Spirit that keeps us on that narrow path.

Here's a useful saying I have followed from a preacher I love:  "Whatever is not required for our salvation can be done in the name of ministry."

The Secular is an Illusion

‎"Before God and with God we live without God" - Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Link goes to source material)

I've been meditating on this quote by Bonhoeffer and this idea has been formulating in my brain for a little bit.  I am now hashing it out into writing.

Bonhoeffer lived and wrote in an age where the assumption that God exists was not widely held.  The idea that "there is no God" in it's positive affirmations found its roots no sooner than in the 18th century and had its way paved by prominent "freethinkers" such as Marx and Nietzsche and propelled by the theories of Darwin and Freud so that by the time of Bonhoeffer and Nazi Germany the presupposition that mankind was inherently religious was under fire.  The idea that God exists is now questionable where for thousands of years it was never questioned.  

For ancient people until the enlightenment, the question was "Of course gods exist, but which gods do we obey?"  The question of the enlightenment era was "Does God exist and do we have need of him any longer?"  The question of the post-modern era is takes both a step backward and forward at the same time "What does it matter as long as you believe something?"  Bonhoeffer lived at the tail end of the enlightenment era.  If you couple all of this with German Higher Criticism of the Bible calling into dispute the sources of scripture and liberal interpretations with an anti-supernatural bias and to top it off add on the atrocities Bonhoeffer witnessed of Nazi Germany, is it any wonder why he said he was living in a world without God?

It is the same world in which we live today.  It is a world, as Bonhoeffer puts it, that we must live in esti deus non daretur (Even if God does not exist).  The question one might ask Bonhoeffer is "Where did God go that we live without Him?"  Of course his answer being that God didn't go anywhere, we left Him.  "Before God and with God we live without God" is his assessment of a society that lives ἄθεος (literally without God).

This Greek word ἄθεος meant something very different to the ancient Greeks (an indeed most if not all ancient peoples) who did not question the existence of gods.  To the ancient peoples, there was absolutely no such thing as "without God's existence" and to suggest such a thing was untenable.   The very word connotes an impossibility because gods inherently existed without question.  Then why the word?  It was used to denote "godlessness", those who have forsaken the worship of Gods and had fallen into lawlessness.  The term is used by Paul in Ephesians 2:12 to describe Gentiles before their knowing of Christ.  It was common for Jews to describe all other nations as ἄθεοι because God was only near to the Israelites.  In no way does the term necessarily connote or imply that God does not exist.  It describes those who have forsaken God.

So what's my point?  That secular is an illusion as there is nothing that exists that is completely devoid of God.  It exists conceptually but not actually.  To affirm that such a thing as "secular" or "atheistic" exists (in the common vernacular and understanding to mean "without God's existence") means that we affirm there are things that are completely separated from God.  There is not a single thing God cannot use nor a single person who is not made in His image.  Rather I affirm that "the earth is the Lord's and everything in it." (Ps 24:1) and that there is no such thing as "without God" if I understand as the ancients did before me that to be a god is to exist and cause existence.  The only thing worthy to be called a god is a being that exists a se and has life in and of itself.  All things depend on God for their existence, secular and atheist alike and thus there is nothing without God's existence.  So even if God did not exist (esti deus non daretur) we wouldn't be around to ask the question.

This is Anselm's ontological argument which is not intended as a proof of God but as an explanation why the concept of God is self-evident.  He defines God as "a being than which no greater can be conceived".  If we can conceive of God like this, than either one of two things are true:  This great being exists only in our minds conceptually(modern atheism) or it exists in our minds conceptually and ontologically in reality as well (Modern theism).  Because a being that actually exists is greater than one that only exists in our thoughts, God must exist in reality in order to be "that than which nothing greater can be conceived".  Descartes says a similar thing when he states that the the notion of a supremely perfect God who does not exist is unintelligible so therefore existence must be part of God's character (as it is better to exist than to not exist).  While not a perfect proof of God (nor was it ever meant to be), it gives insight into why the word ἄθεος is unintelligible when taken to mean "God does not exist".

To ask the question "Does God exist?" one must first posit a concept of God and if that concept of God does not include existence as a fundamental attribute, it is something less than God.  However if existence is part of God's being inherently, then why ask the question?  If it is not, then what exactly is being disproved?  This is a question to which it is impossible to answer intelligibly with anything other than "Yes".  Moreover, God must exist for it is in his nature to do so.  To conclude God's non-existence or even to conclude "you cannot know and there is no way of knowing" is illogical (or at very least would take a "leap of faith").  This is why the ancients never sought to ask the question.  God's existence is self evident, but his character and identity are not.  Those can only be revealed by the deity.  This is why the ancient question was "Which gods do we serve?"  But again this is all to say without a doubt that "Before God and with God we live..."

So the reality is that we are always "before God and with God" for there is no place that God is not.  God holds the universe together and sustains all things so that even Satan exists by God's own will for nothing is sustained without God's creating and sustaining presence.  Therefore all things that exist must have some proximity to God and constantly be "before God and with God".  However, in the same way Satan can approach God in the book of Job, just because we are in proximity to God does not mean we are in fellowship with Him.  Our bodies may be near him, but our hearts can be far from Him.  In such a way we are "without God"  especially when we live in an ever increasing ἄθεοι society.  (The spread of atheism/agnosticism in the world: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Atheists_Agnostics_Zuckerman_en.svg)

Again we have always lived in a world in which peoples hearts are hardened and their consciousnesses are seared.  There are some, who despite any action God can take, will not turn an repent.  They will perish without ever knowing God and will deny him until their last breath so God has given them up to their mortal desires.

Bonhoeffer goes on in his letter "God lets himself be pushed out of the world on to the cross.  He is weak and powerless in the world, and that is precisely the way, the only way, in which he is with us and helps us."  God does not demonstrate his power to save through powerful displays of force and combat, but through Jesus, the meek and humble servant, beaten and hung on a cross, weak and powerless and forsaken by all.  Indeed God is mighty to save, but the image of Christ on the cross is anything but mighty.  Those who rejected God in Christ and denied that God was God where those who were ἄθεοι even though he was in their midst.  Just as they had no part with God, he had no part with them.  They pushed him out of the world onto the cross, but he came back and is coming back again.  But why is the Almighty powerless among these "atheists"?

We find a clue in Mark 6:4-6: "4Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” 5He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6And he was amazed at their lack of faith." (NIV)

It is not a question if Jesus can or cannot but of will or will not.  Only the faithful are healed and saved.  Why is this so?  Because only the faithful come to Jesus for healing.  You don't go to doctors you do not trust and think cannot help you (needless to say doctors that do not exist).  If you have a deadly illness and you don't believe in doctors, you only have one choice: die.  It is only by faith that anyone is saved. This is why we pray for those who do not know God; We ask God to heal them when they will not ask for themselves and in his mercy he either does or does not.

Finally, I want to look at one last passage, 1 Corinthians 1:22-25

"22Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength."

Jews wanted signs because it would point them to the messiah, however even when Jesus did miracles before their eyes, they did not believe.  Needless to say Jesus doesn't waste his time performing miracles as their only goal is to increase faith.  The Greeks were preoccupied with wisdom.  Literally the term "philosophia" means "love of wisdom".  Needless to say, they loved wisdom.

Paul says he preaches Christ crucified, and to those Jews and Greeks who lack faith, Christ is just that, crucified.  He's dead, powerless and weak to do anything.  Not the messiah Jews are looking for and certainly foolishness to the unbelieving Greeks to follow a crucified leader (the cross was a symbol of shame reserved for the worst offenders).  But to those whom God has called, the faithful, Christ is more than crucified; He is the power of God and the wisdom of God.  Ironically he is exactly what the unbelieving Jews and Greeks were looking for but could not find and when they did find him, rejected him.

So in the end if we are used the term "atheist" in the same manner as ancient Greeks and Jews would understand ἄθεοι, all peoples who are without Christ can be termed "atheist", not just those who say that God does not exist.  There is only one God and the only way to be "with him" is through Christ.  Those without Christ are simply put "without God" even though they continually be in God's presence.

So then, we as Christians are tasked to find the faithful and to disciple them, teaching them to obey all that Christ taught.  We live in a world that is "without God", but if we are "with God" and "before God", then we bring God with us wherever we go for he dwells in us.  He is the light that shines through us in the dark places and my friends, this world's a mighty dark place.

The Effects of being Filled by The Holy Spirit

Doing a word search on "Filled with the Holy Spirit" and it's effects, I've concluded one:  Those filled with the Holy Spirit are able to speak to glorify God.

John the Baptist was filled when he was still in the womb and he was a powerful prophet: Luke 1:15

Elizabeth, his mother, was filled and she immediately exclaimed a blessing to Mary and the fruit of her womb, Jesus: Luke 1:41

Zechariah, the father, was filled and praised God and prophesied concerning Jesus and John: Luke 1:67

The Apostles were filled and began to praise God in tongues and Peter began to preach: Acts 2:4-40

Peter, again filled, preaches in Acts 4:8-12

"they [the believers] were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness." (Acts 4:31 ESV)

The Holy Spirit "poured out" on Cornelius and other gentile believers who then began speaking in tongues and extolling God. Acts 10:45-48

Paul is filled and begins to prophesy against Elymas the magician.  Acts 13:9

These are all the cases I found of "filled by the Holy Spirit" and remarkably, every case has to do with speaking, whether it be in praising God (with or without tongues), preaching, or prophesying.  Everything revolves around the words and their power.  This is not surprising considering the tongue has the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21).

The following is taken from a paper written by Dr. Jeffrey Arthurs entitled "Devote Yourself to the Public Reading" (2010) in which he discusses the power of God through his Word.

"God transforms us through the Word. It is a fire that burns away dross (Jer 23:29), a hammer that breaks stony hearts (Jer 23:9), rain that waters crops (Isa 55:10–11), milk that nourishes babies (1 Pet 2:2), food that fills the hungry (Heb 5:12–13), a sword that pierces the heart and battles the devil (Heb 4:12; Eph 6:17), a mirror that shows us our true selves (Jas 1:23–25), and a lamp that illumines our path (Ps 119:105; Prov 6:23; 2 Pet 1:19)...

The story of the centurion illustrates the power of words in general and Jesus’ word in particular: “Just give the order, please, and my servant will recover. I am used to working under orders, and I have soldiers under me. I can say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, or I can say to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; or I can say to my slave, ‘Do this job,’ and he does it (Luke 7:6–8 Phillips). God’s Word has power to create, rule, and redeem.

Concerning creation:
“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made” (Ps 33:6).
Concerning ruling:
“Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Your faithfulness endures to
all generations; you have established the earth and it stands fast. By your appointment
they stand this day” (Ps 119:89–90).
“He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He gives snow like wool;
he scatters frost like ashes” (Ps 147:15–16).
Concerning redemption:
“They cried to the LORD in their trouble; and he saved them from their distress; he sent
out his word and healed them, and delivered them from destruction” (Ps 107:19–20).
We are “born again, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and
enduring word of God” (1 Pet 1:23).
“He gave us birth by the word of truth” (Jas 1:18) which “has the power to save your
souls” (Jas 1:23) by the “washing of water by the word” (Eph 5:26)." (Arthurs 2010)

 Is it any surprise that an infilling of the Holy Spirit (which seems to be able to occur more than once in Peter's case) leads directly to the oral glorification of God?  The only appropriate response to a holy God is worship,  "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."  And

"Everyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved" (Rom 10:13; Acts 2:21; Joel 2:32),

yet,

"Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"  (Ma 7:22-23)

And who can confess unless the Spirit bids him confess?  Unless the Father draws him near and the Son confirms him, there is no salvation.  Unless the prophesying, praising, and preaching is done by the Holy Spirit working through the unclean lips of men, who can praise God except God alone?  For "I [Jesus] do not accept praise from men" (John 5:41) but only from the Father

"Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." (John 12:28)

and the Holy Spirit

"When the Counselor comes, whom I [Jesus] will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning." (John 15:26-27)

So unless we take part in the life of the Trinity, being in close relationship to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we cannot adequate glorify God in the way God deserves to be glorified.  This is why the Spirit fills us again and again so that we may take part in the life of the Trinity and the glorification that takes place there.  And if we are One with Christ just as He and the Father are one, then we too will receive glory by being God's glory, being made in his glorious image.  For

"What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet." (Psalms 8:5; Hebrews 2:6-8)

So if at times you feel an uncontrollable desire to praise God, to preach his word, or to prophesy in his name, take heart!  You have been touched by the Holy Spirit and are not far from the Kingdom of God.  To God be the Glory, forever and ever.  Amen.

The Gospel in 4 Minutes (context: spoken to Men in prison)

I’m not sure about how much you may have heard about Jesus Christ or even what you know about him, but I wanted to share with you something interesting that he said.  He said he was sent to proclaim freedom for the prisoners.  I know each and every single one of you here knows what it means to be a prisoner, whether you deserve to be here or not.  You all understand what it means to be guilty and to fall short of perfection.  The Bible calls this sin and none of us are perfect.

Yet Jesus said he came to proclaim freedom for the prisoners.  What does that even mean?  Each and every single one of us was being held captive and Satan was our jailer. The price to bail us out was steep.  No one could pay it but God alone and God was the one we wronged.  We were on death row awaiting execution, dead men walking with not a single hope on the horizon.

But then, the unthinkable happened.  God himself, in the person of Jesus Christ, paid us a visit while we were still prisoners.  He came with the message that he had come to set us free.  He paid the price to bail us out. He paid it with his own blood as he died on the cross.  God, who should’ve demanded to see us die because of the wrong we’ve caused him, instead sent his only Son to set us free.  No longer will we die because of our sins, but now, we will experience eternal life with him.

As a Christian, that is someone who follows Christ, we love God because he first showed his love for us on the cross as he died to set us free.  We do two things in response to God’s love. First, we acknowledge that Jesus is the one who saves us and we give him thanks and praise for it.  We simply give credit where credit is due.  We just simply recognize who God is and what he has done for us.  We seek to know who this God is by reading God’s Word, and by praying, that is, talking to God.  God wants us to be able to know him, and has given us the Bible and prayer so that we might understand who He is.

  Secondly, we remain in faithful obedience to him.  If not for God, we are as good as dead, but now we have a second chance at life.  How many of you would have loved a second chance during your trial?  How many would, if they could, take back the wrong that they have done and start over again?  God has given us that second chance so now we live new lives for God to further show our appreciation for all that he has done.

But maybe you don’t believe it.  Maybe you don’t know if God is even real or if he is even here with us.  But I guarantee you if you want proof that God exists, live like he does.  Once you begin to look for him, you will surely find him.  Ask God to reveal himself to you and you will not be disappointed.  Test out the promises God makes in the Bible.  I am not asking you to believe blindly or just on my word alone.  Investigate God and see if he is legit before you put your trust in him.  Or just take it from me that there is a God who is real and who has died to set you free.  Now the only question that remains is “What are you going to do about it?”

Breaking Point

Oh God!  How long must I wait
for your promised inheritance
to receive that which you have given me?
Do not try my patience any longer
for I do not know how much I can bear
Lord you tempt me with your good gifts
you tease me with your love

Lord Jesus, come quickly because I've had all that I can take
Come quickly! Come quickly!  I'm about to break.

You have me at my breaking point
my whole body lurching forward
wanting desperately for more of you
but you keep your distance
and I'm trying not to scream
"Take me I'm yours!" as my body gives in
Your like a weight in my branches
slowly sinking lower as the tension builds
bending but not breaking but I'm about to snap

Lord Jesus, come quickly because I've had all that I can take
Come quickly! Come quickly!  I'm about to break.

Lord around you my walls collapse
as each nerve fires from synapse to synapse
you're like war drums round Jericho
each beat pulsing with passion upon passion
And I collapse in a glowing heap of flesh and blood
Lord who knew you could be so good!
But my rapture ends so shortly and you leave me wanting more
crying like a child on his bedroom floor
How I long for you like a groom for his bride
so please, won't you please come take me down the aisle?

Lord Jesus, come quickly because I've had all that I can take
Come quickly! Come quickly!  I'm about to break.

I know you have no limits, but understand that I have mine
I want to break the bread, I want to taste the wine
And you have me on my back, body arched and supine
thinking "How beautiful the image of God and Man entwined!"

Lord Jesus, come quickly because I've had all that I can take
Come quickly! Come quickly!  I'm about to break.

Lord, do not hold back your promise
How much longer must I wait?
As eagerly as I count the seconds
They pass me by like days
Lord, don't you know that I love thee
every hour I am awake?
My love is meek and mild, but it's softly getting stronger
building and building until now there's no return
so deliver me, oh my God!  Deliver me from my oppression!
Free me from my suspense!
My God!  My God!  You have me losing sense.

Lord Jesus, come quickly because I've had all that I can take
Come quickly! Come quickly!  I'm about to break.

Don't you know what you do to me
every time you draw near?
Your like a man's first kiss
or a silent whisper in my ear
So shall I sit here and burn with passion
or do you want me to burn at the stake?
Have your way with me, Oh God
for it is no longer I who live but You.

Lord Jesus, come quickly because I've had all that I can take
Come quickly! Come quickly!  I'm about to break.

Apologetics: The Reason for Christ

This is an ongoing conversation I've been having on Facebook with an Atheist.  He knows his Bible verses better than I do, but he lacks the understanding that can only come from God's light and revelation.  Basically, he uses Scripture like Satan uses it.  I am appreciating the discussion, however, and just as a side note:  I am not debating in order to convert him.  Such debates are futile and do nothing to win someone over to Christ and may even just harden their own hearts.  Internet debates especially are worthless, but the reason I persist is because I know there are others who read the comments and the discussion who need to know that Christianity can make logical sense.  It allows me to reach him, but not only him, but all his friends as well and anyone able to catch us debating.  Facebook is a public place and those not participating in the debate will still overhear it.  I am posting the comments here so that I might preserve them.  It is a friendly debate and we very much respect each other.  This isn't the first talk we've had, nor will it be the last.  I think we all need atheist friends to keep us on our toes.


Original Poster: If we're all God's children, what's so special about Jesus?

Me: Lol do you want a serious response? Just say the word ;)

OP:  To be honest, John, I've never understood the point of Jesus in the first place.

Me: I mean, the short answer is that we're adopted through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus into the family of God. You know as well as I do that the Bible talks a lot about inheritance, and being reborn as new creations. I really couldn't condense the entire reason for Jesus in a facebook post in any convincing manner, but I do think Paul does a good enough job in the book of Romans if you care enough to read it through. He pretty much lays out the entire thing, but if I could pick out a few verses Romans 3:21-26; 5:15-20; and 8:1-4,15-17,23 (just read all of 8) deal specifically for the reason for Jesus, but you really need to take Paul's argument in the entirety of it's context to see how he develops it.

OP:  Yes, but John, there is no rational reasoning behind it. The quotes of John don't answer this.
Jesus came to sacrifice himself for the sins of the world. This means that the way that God, in his omnipotent and omniscient manner, was unableto create the world with a correct way of atonement. Then he wasn't omnipotent. Maybe he didn't know a way of doing it without having to send Jesus later. Then he wasn't omniscient.

Now, if there was actually no way for God to pull it off without Jesus (which makes no sense, see above), then why did God wait to send him? Why didn't he send him before Adam and Eve?

This would have saved him from having to destroy the earth twice (Noah's flood and the eventual events of Revelation)

In all honesty, John, none of it makes sense. Jesus either wasn't required, or God isn't all that awesome after all.

Me:  There are a lot of assumptions made in your statement, OP.
1) You assume Jesus wasn't present at Eden. Adam and Eve both walked with God in the most intimate and unadulterated ways (naked and unashamed).

2) You assume God sees times the same as us. If God is outside of time and unchanging, when He created the world he also created the Cross. He made it all at once, both beginning and the end. Jesus was "slain before the foundation of the world." (Rev 13:8) The world had a correct method of atonement that was foreordained in the planning process of God's creation. Through Jesus all things were made and by his sacrifice he became the foundation of the universe and everything in it.

3)Omnipotence isn't being able to do anything you want. It's the ability to succeed in whatever you set out to do. It's the whole "Can God make a rock so heavy even He couldn't lift it" debate. The price for creating free beings who might choose to love God was the blood of God's son, a price he gladly paid because He knew he could raise him back to life. If God is both omnipotent and omniscient, then not only is this world that we live in now exactly the thing God wanted to make, but it is also the most efficient route to get to his end goal. We make things that are lifeless and do not change over time, but God makes things that grow, change shape, develop and evolve over time. We are living in what is the best of all possible outcomes as it is being worked out for the sake of God's plan and purpose. We must assume this if we accept God is omnipotent. If we cannot accept God is omnipotent, then it is as you say, this is no God worth serving.

It's sort of pointless to go back and criticize God's actions as being incorrect if we don't know all of his options or even what his motives are. We can judge a man for murder, but what are his motives and her character? Was it self-defense? Was he fighting a war? Was he full of hatred or was it bravery? We can look at God's actions and assume a motive (e.g. God killed all those Philistines! He must be a cruel God.), but such is faulty thinking thrown out in any court trial. If God is on trial here and must answer for his actions, we must be clear on his motives. True theology starts with the character of God as revealed by God through both Scripture and Creation. How else might we know that which is unknowable unless God himself makes it plain to us? If you want to know anything about God and why He made the world as He did, you are going to have to understand his character and let that interpret his actions, not the other way around. That would be disingenuous.

That's why I encouraged you to read all of Romans. God is on trial for being unjust and Paul is giving a narrative defense of God's righteous character and the "righteousness being revealed" that was Christ crucified.

OP:
1. Present or not doesn't matter. He did not sacrifice himself at the time.
2. He does. He's all powerful. If he cannot see time in the same manner as us, he is not all powerful. If the manner was fore-ordained, then why wait?

3. It is having the power to do anything you want. It means 'all powerful' does it not? The price for creating free beings was not the blood of God's son unless he chose it to be so. He made the rules up himself. And again, my argument is that it was not the most efficient route. God could have made it properly, and didn't.

Again, you seem to think God has options. God has all options, or your book is a lie. We're not using court trial rules here. Motives aren't the problem, it's actions.

You keep telling me to read Romans. I've read it multiple times.

Me:
I didn't mean to insult you by implying you've never read it. I merely meant to read it again. I always find benefit in re-reading texts, especially scripture.
1) I wrote this in response to "Why wait to send Jesus?" Jesus was already there. Whatever God has foreordained already is, was, and is to come all at once because God can see multiple perspectives in time.

2) Yes, I agree, but he also sees time in a way that transcends it, but that wasn't the main point of my argument. It was the rest of it left unaddressed. If you are asking purely in human terms and conception of time "Why wait?", it was so that Sin might appear utterly sinful through the law and that through of the law, sin and transgression might multiply. (Romans 7) Romans 8 then goes into the reason for Christ.

3)We just disagree on a definition here. Omnipotence does in a sense mean that, but the thing is that it doesn't mean God would do anything he wants. There is a huge difference between can and will. He could, but he won't. God's own nature and character constrains God's actions. He cannot act in ways inconsistent with his own being or else cease to be God. Whatever actions seem to contradict God's character are only seeming contradictions, not actual ones because God is unchanging and consistent, else everything I said and believe and preach is worthless. Everything lies on God's character and the question "Is He just?"

And you are right, God did choose it to be so and he did make the rules. I just happen to believe that it was the best possible choice because I have faith in God's judgment whereas you are critical of it. He knew all his options and as you said had all options, and yet he chose this one. That tells me it was his best option. I'm not quite sure how you would do things differently? How could he have been more efficient? To what standard can you compare God's effectiveness?

I argue that there is no way to reason such a thing and so it is a moot point. No sense arguing about what could've been as trying to replicate a process that took billions of years and control for every possible variable and prove God did it inefficiently would take longer than the age of the universe. What we have is what is so we should be working to make sense of what is instead of what could've been.

OP:
1) What scripture says God exist outside of time? And even if he does, he must be able to see ours as well, and if so, again, why wait to fix the problem with creation?
2) Then why would God create sin? (Isaiah 45:7) If God created sin,why would he have to teach it to us instead of just giving us that information? (I think that's what you're trying to say here.)

3) I understand what you meant. But the point still remains. He could have made the way to salvation correctly, and he didn't. He had to later send Jesus to fix it. Why not do it right the first time?

And this is where blind faith and absolute skepticism disagree. You see it and think "There was a reason" whereas I say "This makes no sense".

I'm not looking at effectiveness, I'm looking at logic. God didn't give us the correct salvation at first. He started with animal sacrifice. There were ways to repent, and God even repented some himself. To who I have no idea. But several thousands of years later, he figures salvation isn't working (and why? He makes the rules) so he has to created a child of himself and send himself to earth to be sacrificed. Why not just do it right the first time? He, again, made up the rules.

Me:


First of all, I am using logic but starting with two assumptions: God exists and God is who he says he is (God does not lie). Maybe a third that the Bible is God's Word. All logic must start with a few assumptions.



1) The main reason for saying that "God exists outside of time" is the stress that God is unchangeable and is always the same. Scripture does make that clear, so even if God didn't exist outside of time or existed as both in and out of time, he is always unchanging. The "outside of time" part is an implication drawn from divine immutability.

We also seem to be mis-communicating. You say God waited to fix the problem, and I am saying he never waited. He fixed it before it even happened so that it could happen and be accounted for. There's no surprising God.

2)Isaiah 45:7 says nothing about creating sin and is a topic for another time. Romans chapter 5 and 7:7-13 is where you find out how Sin enters the world through the commandment. All the answers to the questions you asked have already been answered by Paul. He knew people would naturally ask the same questions you are asking right now and answered them ahead of time. I can't do it better than him but if it's confusing to you I can try to explain. Bottom line: I don't understand how you think God created sin. Sin by definition is an act which separates someone from God. Can God be separate from himself? An interesting comment can be made about Christ here, but it's a tangent.

3)Animal sacrifice was never intended to forgive intentional sins, only unintentional. It's a common misconception. If you know the Law, you know what happens to people who sin intentionally; they are stoned and killed. Good luck asking for forgiveness and repenting after you have died. The law was given so that we might understand how short we all fall to God's perfect standard. And of course God knew that not a single person would be able to keep the law perfectly (because of our sinful nature), but God had promised Noah not to wipe out humanity again. Because of his great mercy, he did not punish us immediately for our sins but put it off until the timing was right for his Son to come and pay for our debt once and for all. When Adam and Eve commited an act of treason in the garden and bowed down to the serpent by obeying Him, God could've just killed them then and there and started over, but he was merciful from the beginning and clothed them (though he knew they didn't actually need clothes, they just wanted them). God knew we would never be able to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law (nor was that the law's intention), so he sent His Son as a man to fulfill the law on our behalf. As the old saying goes "those who are forgiven more will love more". He let sin reign on Earth so that we might know just how much we needed forgiveness and love him all the more.

What you are missing and what I have been saying all along is this: It was God's plan for Christ to die from the very beginning. The atonement process was perfect from the start. Essentially what you are asking me is "Why didn't God do step 5 before step 2? That makes no sense. He should have done it right the first time." I'm saying to you that he did do it right the first time. Step 5 isn't the correction to the failure of step 2 but logically must come after steps 1-4 have been put in place successfully. Who knows what step we are on now, but I do not think God so stupid as to not have planned this out fully ahead of time in painstaking detail.

OP:  
Well, the bible very specifically states God lies. (Jeremiah 4:10, 20:7)

1. If God did not wait to fix the problem, why didn't the Gospels happen first? Paul does not answer this question at all, unless you want to twist what he says to fit the question.

2. I have never accepted that God did not create sin. The verse I gave states that God created evil. Romans 5 tries to state that the lawlessness of man created it. However, that means that man has the ability of creation and that God did not create everything, as Colossians 1:16 states, also written by Paul.

Lamentations 3:38-39 also states that out of the mouth of the most high proceed both good and evil. So if god did not create evil, and we did, are we not gods?

Sin's definition is an act that violates a known moral rule. That is also a misconception. Your faith has taken a word that was not theirs and you are trying to redefine it. The bible defines sin as lawlessness (1 John 3:4) So your belief that God cannot sin is actually not true. If God is all powerful, he is easily capable of sin. He has an evil and lying spirit, and admits multiple times that he created evil, or chaos, or misdeeds (depending on the version of the bible you're reading)

3) Animal sacrifices were used to celebrate and as a part of prayer and reverence. This includes repentance.

We know we'll sin because I doubt we could keep all 613 commandments.

God did not promise to Noah not to destroy humanity again, he promised no more worldwide floods. (Genesis 9:11-13)

I did not miss that God decided from the beginning to cruelly murder his child to forgive our sins. The question is, why, and why did he wait. He created everything, and either he fucked it up by creating (or allowing) sin, and if he knew it was coming and needed to create us a choice in the matter (death from sin or forgiveness through Christ) why did he wait 4000+ years?

Your steps give it a human feel, but God only has 1 step. You've already stated he created everything that will ever exist or happen all at the same time (as he transcends time) and he made it wrong. He doesn't have to follow steps, he makes it without rules. He can follow any order he wants.

Me: 
God lies? There's a big difference between people making accusations against God and God's actual character. Jeremiah makes an accusation, David makes one, Job makes one, Habakkuk makes one, actually it's quite common in lamentation literature. Jeremiah is making a complaint just like you are making a complaint against God. However, the key difference between Jeremiah's complaining and yours is that He still trusts God and exalts him. Just read a little further past those verses you quoted and look at the context.
1) I already answered this question.

2) The verse states that God "forms light and creates darkness, brings prosperity and creates disaster." A far cry from God creates evil. Romans 5 doesn't say Adam created anything, only sin and death entered Adam through the breaking of the commandment, implying it was already in existence.

Again, Lamentations 3:38-39 doesn't say that at all. Again it says "both calamities and good things come" not "Good and evil". Neither are these calamities brought about for God's enjoyment, but as punishment for sin as evident in v 39. v 40 says "let us examine our ways and test them and let us return to the Lord." If God was evil, why return to him? He is just and righteous, not wicked as you would lead people to believe.

And if sin is lawlessness (i.e. breaking the law or living apart from it), and gave the law to the Jews, How can God be lawless? You said it yourself: He makes the rules. How can he break them? He would just re-write them instead. And what stops God from doing that? His character.

3)Another mistake. Repentance is not the same thing as forgiveness of sins. It just means to stop doing what you are doing and do the opposite.

Also you say "Cruelly murder his Child" only because you think Jesus is dead. He isn't. You also say it like Jesus had no choice in the matter. He did it of his own volition.

There are a lot of flaws in your argument stemming from basic interpretive criteria. Most of the meaning you draw from the Bible is twisted to fit your own view. Your world view informs you how to interpret the Bible instead of the Bible informing your world view. Meaning isn't imposed but rather extracted. I can continue to correct your interpretations if you like because it seems most of them are biased and put words in God's mouth or ascribe things to him that were never meant to be ascribed by the author. Otherwise, I have spoken my peace and am confident I have sufficiently defended my cause.

OP:  Not all are just accusations:
1 Kings 22:23 Now, therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.
2 Chronicles 18:22 Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets.
 Jeremiah 4:10 Ah, Lord GOD! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people.
 Jeremiah 20:7 O Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived.
Ezekiel 14:9 And if a prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet.
2 Thessalonians 2:11 For this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.

Me:
Oh you are using KJV? Regardless:
1 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 18 refer to the same event. Again if you would read the full story, God isn't the one lying nor does he have a lying spirit. He does, however, use a lying spirit rather effectively to bring destruction upon King Ahab, which if you know your history, was the cruelest and most wicked King of the Northern kingdom of Israel. Mind you, that the lying spirit was not put into prophets of the LORD, but rather the kings own "prophets". They weren't real prophets and had no right to speak for the LORD as they pretended to (hence why King Jehoshaphat asked "Is not there a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?")

I already explained Jeremiah, so I will not again.

Ez 14:9 No surprise here that this is about judgment as well on idolaters. It is well within God's ability to blind people to the truth and to give them over to their own depravity of thinking. Is that the same thing as lying to them? Not at all. The context informs the meaning: Some elders came and wanted to ask the LORD some things, but they were idolaters in their own hearts. So God refuses to answer them and tells them they cannot go to his prophets to inquire of God anything until they repent. The Hebrew verb used is a passive "to allow oneself to be deceived" then God deceives him. But wait! What's this? The previous chapter is condemning false prophets! (13:2-3) It seems that these prophets who allow themselves to be deceived are not prophets at all. They speak things as if they know, but everything they say is false and so "they will bear the guilt" (ez 14:10) However the manner of deception is not told, is it the same way he deceived in 1 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 18? Or as in...

2 Th 2:11 This is more than likely what God did, and not surprsingly, it's the same thing he did in 1 Kings 22. He sends a delusion (probably a lying spirit). Also, ironically 2Th 2 deals with... wait for it... false prophets and people who come and try to deceive others using false teaching and scripture. More specifically, it's the Anti-Christ (the lawless one). He is able to deceive those who are perishing because they did not love the truth and so be saved (v10). Reminds me of Ez 14:9, probably because Paul knew Old Testament Scripture like the back of his hand and of course knew Ez 14. The only ones being deceived are those who delight in wickedness and stand condemned unless they repent and believe in the truth.

In the end, all of these these instances are amazingly consistent with each other, but not in the way you had hoped. What you believe about the scriptures is simply a deception and probably no matter what I say you will continue believing it unless God himself causes you to have faith in the Truth I have presented. Strangely enough, I'm ok with that. It never was my job to convert people and never will be. I just tell people what I know to be true.

February 9, 2008

This was the day I became a Christian.  I know because I started my journal filled with reflections as a new Christian on that same day.  I wanted to share with you the first thing I ever wrote in my journal, a prayer to God.

2/9/08

God,  

This is my first time I've really done anything like this.  I'm a bit nervous, but I'll try to write as much as I can for you.  I came here looking for answers, I came looking for myself, but instead I've found you.  Sorry about not capitalizing You, I was never big into that, but I guess you already knew that. 

You made me the way I am.  You know my past and my future.  I know I'm not always a "model Christian" but I was never quite sure what that was anyway.  You know how hard it is to exude the values you teach in everything I do, and sometimes it would be a lot easier in society to not be a Christian, to not praise you. 

There was a time in my life where I thought this was true, where I doubted you and put you aside.  I tried to be "cool" and follow the crowd, but I fully couldn't let you go.  You finally showed me a revelation and changed my life. 

I see now how I can appreciate faith so much more from when I didn't have it.  I never knew the importance of faith, of religion, of know that there is a God above.  I guess I forgot how good the party was, so to speak. 

Thank you for leading me here so that I could get to know you better.  I bet you had this planned all along and that amazes me.  I was always a firm believer in that there is a reason behind everything, good and bad.  I see now how some of the struggles in my life have led me here.  I guess that is your gift to me and I thank you for it. For some things, though, I trust you will reveal to me in time. 

You understand my needs, you better than anyone I can talk to.  It does make me sad though that I couldn't have a relationship like that with my mom.  I really do want to get to know her, just like I'm getting to know you God.  It's my hope that you will continue to be with me in my life to come, that you can guide me when I need assistance.

By the way, my relationship with my mom was one of the first things God did for me.  He transformed it and me and my mom have never been closer.  It was actually quite a miracle, but that's another story.  I forgot that  it was something I prayed for my first day being a Christian.  Everyday He amazes me.

Everyday is a dying

"There is a pretended boldness for Christ that arises from no better principle than pride. A man may be forward to expose himself to the dislike of the world, and even to provoke their displeasure, out of pride. For ’tis the nature of spiritual pride to cause men to seek distinction and singularity; and so oftentimes to set themselves at war with those that they call carnal, that they may be more highly exalted among their party. True boldness for Christ is universal and overcomes all, and carries ‘em above the displeasure of friends and foes; so that they will forsake all rather than Christ and will rather offend all parties, and be thought meanly of by all, than offend Christ. And that duty tries whether a man is willing to be despised by them that are of his own party, and thought the least worthy to be regarded by them, is a much more proper trial of his boldness for Christ, than his being forward to expose himself to the reproach of opposers." -Jonathan Edwards (Religious Affections)

"I now come to that part of Christian morals where they differ most sharply from all other morals. There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty themselves. I have heard people admit that they are bad-tempered, or that they cannot keep their heads about girls or drink, or even that they are cowards. I do not think I have ever heard anyone who was not a Christian accuse himself of this vice. And at the same time I have very seldom met anyone, who was not a Christian, who showed the slightest mercy to it in others. There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others." -C.S Lewis (Mere Christianity)

Two of the greatest thinkers in Christianity both realize the danger of pride in the religious life.  I myself know of it's dangers and how subversive pride can be, hiding right under all my praise and worship and good deeds corrupting me from within.  I live pride.  It has infected every fiber of my being, in every thought and action.  The extent to which it reaches makes it hard for me to distinguish what is me and what is pride in me.

I will never forget the day I realized that secretly I, while claiming salvation, had been all along competing with my fellow Christians.  In my warped mind, I was the only Christian who knew what he was doing.  Everyone else was the problem and I was a one man revolution, God's gift to Christianity.  It sounds ridiculous, and I am ashamed and utterly embarrassed to admit such things, but I actually believed it.  Moreover, far beyond believing in my own holiness before God, I treated others with contempt all the while believing I was saved and doing good.  What a wretched person I am! But oh how sweet true grace really is?

I used to dislike the Pharisees until I found out that I was one.  It was actually the words CS Lewis wrote that God used to knock me on the ground and peel the scales back from my eyes.  And I was stunned.  I had no words to say, speechless before God.  Though I claimed life, I was dead.  Though I professed Christ, I hated him and was in enmity with God.  And yet, God in his great mercy stopped me from falling over that cliff.

So does arrogance in others bother you?  If you respond in hostility towards them you have not yet realized your own pride.  Once you identify pride, you will know forever what it feels like.  Pride has a certain unmistakable smell, so even when it is unseen it is now to me detectable because that is how intimate me and Pride are.  We are entwined in constant battle.  Everyday when you see me, you do not see what I struggle to fight inside of me.  Everyday is a dying.

Nice Guys Finish Last

I am a very competitive person.  I love to win and I love to be the best.  As such, I have high standards for myself and for other people as well.  Some might even call me a perfectionist and perhaps you are a perfectionist yourself.

                But deep down inside, I think we all yearn to be the greatest.  I haven’t met a single person who likes to lose or wants to just be average.  Everywhere we look we have role models and icons and people who we aspire to be, rich and successful and powerful people.

                Is it any wonder, then, that Jesus’s disciples argued amongst themselves over who might be the greatest in the kingdom of God?  Some of us here today would even call ourselves Disciples of Christ because Christ is our inspiration and role model, among many other things.  Who doesn’t want to be the greatest disciple?  Is it wrong to want to be the best Christian?  As it turns out, this is a very dangerous idea, but what makes it so dangerous? What does it mean to be great in God’s kingdom?

To find the answers to these questions, turn with me to Mark 9:33-37.  That’s Mark 9:33-37.

                ³³ Jesus and his disciples came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” ³⁴ But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.

 ³⁵ Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

 ³⁶ He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, ³⁷ “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

So what’s really going on here?

                If we look at Mark 9:1, we might get a sense of why the disciples are arguing.  There Jesus states, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.”  The disciples know that a kingdom is coming, but they have no idea what it is.  It seems they are arguing about who will have high positions in the new Kingdom of God.  However, when Jesus confronts them, the disciples’ silence says everything and the mood suddenly grows tense.

                Imagine you are at work and your boss discovers a group of you stealing from the company.  Your boss would likely hold a meeting with all those involved and then go over company policy and procedure concerning what has happened.  We see in v35 that this is exactly what Jesus does.  He calls together the disciples and everyone sits down and as we would expect Jesus then goes over company policy.  You could almost feel the nervousness of the disciples as they await Jesus’s verdict.  Based on how Jesus handles the situation, we can say with confidence that this was no trivial matter to Him.

                With the disciples fate in the balance, Jesus opens his mouth and says this, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last and the servant of all.”  Jesus repeats this idea three times in Mark, once in Mark 9:35, once in Mark 10:31, and again in Mark 10:42-45.  It is clear that this is a point that bears repeating.  The first will be last and the last will be first.

                You may be confused about what he means the first will be last and the last first, but if you’ve ever stood in a line the meaning becomes easier to understand.  Say for example, that there was a long line at Dunkin Donuts. If you march right up to the front of the line as if you were more important, the cashier would send you to the back of the line anyway.  So not only do you still end up last, but you are also humiliated in the process.  On the contrary, if you would have just waited patiently at the end of the line, eventually you would become first.  It is not until everyone before you is served that you can be served.  In the same way, you cannot force your way to greatness in the Kingdom of God or you will be humbled.

                But what if instead of waiting in line, you strapped on an apron and started serving everyone in front of you?  The manager wouldn’t pay you a wage, but of course would take notice of you and praise you with words or gifts.  In the same way God takes notice of those who serve faithfully without expecting a reward or recognition and exalts them.  The only way, then, to become great in God’s kingdom is to be a servant. So in the Kingdom of God, Jesus values the least the most.

                So now we know how to be great in God’s Kingdom, but logically, to be great in the kingdom, you have to be part of the kingdom.  The question then is, “How can I become part of God’s Kingdom?”

                In verses 36-37, Jesus sets a little child to be our role model.  Now children have absolutely no status or material possession.  Everything they have has been given to them and they have no legal rights to make their own decisions.  Jesus makes clear that whoever does not accept or welcome children in His name does not accept Him.  If we do not accept Jesus we also do not accept the one who sent him, God.  And if we do not accept God as our King, how can we say we are part of his kingdom?  Only those who welcome the least in Christ’s name are welcome in the Kingdom of God.

                But not only do we welcome those of little status but we are to become like those of little status as well.  Mark 10:13-16 is the sister passage to Mark 9:33-37.  Both contain references to children, both show Jesus hugging children and both are about Jesus receiving children.  These two passages were meant to be read together.  Here Jesus says in v15 that whoever will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter into it.

                We see then, the dangerous idea behind wanting to be the greatest in the kingdom of God.  If we consider ourselves to be of privileged status above others, we threaten our own salvation and citizenship in God’s kingdom.  If we turn away those in our society who are considered inferior in some way, we also have no part in Jesus Christ, apart from whom no one can be saved.  Just some examples of people we might consider inferior are the homeless, prostitutes, gays, people of different race or gender, immigrants, women, children, the physically and mentally handicapped, and the list goes on.

These are the least that Jesus values the most.  If we wish to take part in God’s kingdom, we are to be the least by serving the least.  Jesus came not to be served but to serve.  He became the least among us by humbling himself to death on a cross and so God has exalted him to the highest place.  If we wish as well to be exalted by God, we must first humble ourselves in obedience to God and servitude to our brothers and sisters.  Think about it.  If you consider yourself already high, God can’t exalt you much higher.  It is only when you consider yourself lowly that God can then lift you up.

So what have I said?  In order to be the greatest Christian, we must become humble, so I should try my best to be humble, right?  You missed the point.  If being humble was something you could do, then it is also something you can compete with other Christians about.  “I’m more humble than Sally.” “Scott is a better Christian than me because he’s more humble.”  Being a Christian is not a competition, but it’s more like cheese.    Some are more mature than others and some smell a bit weird, but in the end it’s either bread or cheese.  There’s no “sort of cheese” or I-can’t-believe-it’s-not cheese. 

It’s not about how good your cheese is.  It’s not about how many people you can save or about how much you pray or how much you read your Bible.  Being humble is nothing you can do, rather it is knowing your place at the end of the line and not cutting up to the front.  There is no Christian who considers himself greater than his brothers.  Paul himself considers himself the worst sinner, and yet we venerate his life and teachings today not because Paul was any different than us, but rather God has made him great.  He considered himself last before all men in service to them so that God might be glorified.  So you see, Jesus works the most through the least because Jesus values the least the most.

Let us pray.