Monthly Archives: October 2018

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

October 24, 2018

Posted under

God, Jesus

Was Jesus created?

A recent survey conducted by LifeWay Research indicated that over 3/4 of Americans believe “Jesus was the first and greatest being created by God the Father.” This finding is astounding because it shows that many Americans hold to a belief that contradicts one of the most significant tenets of Christianity. The doctrine of the deity is Jesus is shared by all Christian denominations except the Christian cults. From the very earliest days of Christianity, Christians have affirmed that Jesus is the eternal God.

The Athanasian Creed declares, “The Son is uncreated”, “The son is eternal” and “The Son was neither made nor created.” These statement are merely a reflection of the clear New Testament teaching that Jesus is God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:1-3) The words of John 1:3 make it impossible for Jesus to be created by God. If nothing was made apart from Jesus making it, then Jesus Himself could not be a creation. He must have eternally existed, as John 1:1 teaches. He was in the beginning with God because He is eternally God.

Why then does Colossians 1:15 describe Jesus as “the firstborn of every creature?” The word “firstborn” in Colossians speaks to rank, not birth order. Paul is saying that Jesus is the chief over all creation. This becomes obvious in the next couple verses as Paul goes on to say, “By Him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth . . . all things were created by Him, and for Him . . . that in all things He might have the preeminence.” Jesus is Creator and He is supreme over His creation. This great position is His so all will know He is most important.

Why then is Jesus called “the only begotten Son” of God? Jesus is the Son of God. He is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. He is not the Son of God because in eternity past the Father caused the Son to come into existence. Jesus is the Son of God because that is the title given to Him in Scripture which describes the eternal relationship which exists between God the Father and God the Son. Jesus is the only begotten Son of God because He is God the Son who was begotten of God as a human being. The begottenness of Jesus is not a description of how the Son came to exist, but of how the Son became a man.

The New Testament consistently declares that Jesus is God, the Creator of all things and the Savior of men. He is “the beginning and the end, saith the Lord, which is, which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8) Jesus was not created by the Father. He had no beginning and will have no ending.

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

October 11, 2018

Posted under

Christian living

Can Christians Learn God’s Will by Casting Lots?

Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus and then committed suicide. Weeks later the disciples sought to replace Judas. The disciples chose two men out of the 120 people in the upper room and then they cast lots to see which of the two would be the twelfth apostle. This is the last reference in the Bible to casting lots, and the only time the New Tesament describes Christians making a decision by casting lots.

Casting lots was a regular practice in Israel during Old Testament times. God instructed the Israelites to cast lots as part of the prescribed ritual on the day of atonement. The high priest would cast lots to decide which of two goats would be sacrificed. Later, lots were cast to assign land to tribes and cities to families. When the temple was built lots were cast to arrange the service of certain Levites. The book of Proverbs seems to speak favorably of casting lots. “The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty.” (Proverbs 18:18) “The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.” (Proverbs 16:33)

Casting lots in the Bible was the process of reaching a decision through the random result of thrown sticks, stones or bones. The most common modern parallel is flipping a coin– heads we go out to eat, tails we eat at home. Sometimes the coin is tossed to reach an impartial decision, sometimes to resolve a dispute and sometimes to reach a decision when a person cannot decide. Though the Old Testament used lots as a legitimate part of certain decisions, the New Testament church never did. Is it alright for Christians to roll dice, draw cards or flip coins to determine God’s will?

The Bible does not condemn casting lots, but the New Testament has no examples of casting lots after the reception of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Once Christians received the Holy Spirit they did not need to rely on external devices for guidance. When the church selected elders, deacons or missionaries they did not cast lots. When the apostles sought God’s direction in their ministry travels they did not cast lots. The apostles and early church made decisions through prayer, the Word of God and the Holy Spirit’s instructions. The Holy Spirit’s guidance of every Christian eliminates the need to cast lots.

Instead of casting lots, Christians are to learn the will of God. In the book of Colossians Paul prayed for the believers to “be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” Prayer is a key element of learning the will of God. When Paul desired to go to Rome and then to Spain he asked the church to pray for him that he would be able to do so.

The will of God is learned through the Word of God. God’s commands are always God’s will. The wise application of Biblical principles also direct the Christian to know God’s will. In situations where the Biblical commands and principles leave room for a Christian to legitimately choose any of several options, then the Christian ought to make the best decision possible while trusting God to guide and protect in the decision making process. If God directs the fall of the lot, how much more will He direct His child who seeks to make a wise decision that obeys and honors Him.

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

October 3, 2018

Posted under

Current Events

How should we respond to the Brett Kavanaugh debates?

The strife regarding Brett Kavanaugh continues to hold America’s attention and promises to dominate the news for some time to come. Christians, like everyone else, are struggling to understand this long and contentious process. Few, if any, judicial nominees have been the subject of such a vicious conflict. How should Christian’s respond to this whole situation? Does the Bible give any principles to guide us through this ordeal?

This article is not intended to address whether or not Kavanaugh’s nomination should be confirmed, but how to think about and respond to the controversy of the situation. The before the Senate has moved away from whether or not Mr. Kavanaugh should be confirmed to whether or not he perpetrated various acts of sexual misconduct, including sexual assault. The accusations against him are serious. Sexual violence is never excusable. God clearly forbids all sexual immorality and sexual violence (Deuteronomy 22:25). Assaults upon any person are evil. No Christian should brush such an accusation aside as unimportant because the accused shares our political leanings. If the events happened as described then Brett Kavanaugh committed a great evil. The statute of limitations has run out so he is not criminally prosecutable, but he and any who have sinned in this matter will be judged by God. God fully knows the truth and will bring every sin into judgment.

It is impossible for anyone to know the full truth of the matter, especially those of us who are getting their information second hand from news reports or online news feeds. Proverbs says, “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto Him.” (Proverbs 28:13) In this situation the average person will never properly hear the matter. The Christian needs to speak with care and reserve judgment or rigid opinion about the truth of the accusations.

In all things act charitably and graciously. “Let your speech be always with grace seasoned with salt.” (Colossians 4:6) No matter what happens, and how strong your feelings may be on this topic, always speak words that minister grace to others. Never speak words that defame, enrage, slander, embitter or belittle.

Regardless of personal opinions about the issue and the people involve, always speak respectfully of the appointed leaders. Speak respectfully of Brett Kavanaugh and the Senators involved in his hearing. They are the ministers of God appointed for our good and the good of the nation. (Romans 13) We must always treat them with honor and respect, even when we don’t think they deserve it. One way in which the Christian honors his government is through prayer. Pray for Mr. Kavanaugh, Congress and all who are involved in this process. (1 Timothy 2:1-3)

In all the turmoil, do not lose sight the importance of the Supreme Court. Whoever sits on the Supreme Court weighs significant matters of law that deeply effect the lives of every American. Whether they be issues of hurman life and marriage or issues of healthcare and international trade, the Supreme Court is entrusted with a huge responsibility. The character of those who sit on that court matters. Righteousness still matters. Integrity in government matters. The principle of Proverbs 14:34 is still true, “Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”