Standard

Posted by

Posted on

August 20, 2024

Posted under

Bible Overview, Old Testament

What was manna?

The Israelites ate manna for forty years. Nearly every meal, every day, seven days a week the Israelites ate manna. During the forty years in the wilderness the average Israelite would have eaten tens of thousands of meals of manna. Manna kept the Israelites alive in a land where food was scarce. Manna was so important to Israel that God commanded them to put a pot of manna in the Ark of the Covenant as a memorial of the wilderness wanderings. What was manna?

The Hebrews named their wilderness food “manna” because they did not know what it was. Manna is a Hebrew word that means, “what is it?”. Was it vegetable, meat, grain or fruit? No one knows. All the Bible says about the nature of manna is that it was bread from Heaven, was white and tasted like a flat cake made with honey. (Exodus 16:4, 31)

Every morning manna appeared on the ground. God commanded the Israelites to gather each morning enough manna to feed their own household for one day. Any who tried to store manna overnight found it rotten the next morning. The exception to this was Friday. On the sixth day of the week the Israelites were to collect enough manna for two days. The fourth commandment forbade the Israelites to work on the Sabbath. God would not send manna on the Sabbath. Instead, God would preserve the manna collected by Israel on Friday morning so that it would remain edible through Saturday.

God gave manna as the primary food to sustain the Israelites during the entire forty years of their travels in the wilderness. This daily provision was a remarkable testimony of the faithfulness of God to keep His promises and to provide for His people. Manna was more than just food to keep Israel alive. Manna was a lesson, an examination and a picture.

The Bible declares two additional reasons God sent the Israelites manna every day. He gave them manna each morning as a test of their obedience. (Exodus 16:4) The Israelites were notoriously disobedient. The manna was a daily test of their obedience. Each morning every family was faced with a choice, would they obey God today or disobey Him? The manna was one way in which the Israelites faithfulness to God was revealed.

The manna also served as a continual illustration of the Israelites need to obey God. God gave manna to teach them that a person’s life depends not only on what he eats, but also upon obedience to the Word of God. (Deuteronomy 8:3) The manna was given as a daily reminder the Israelites were totally dependent upon God for their life. If they obeyed Him they would receive His blessing.

The most important thing about manna is its imagery. Manna was a picture of Jesus. Jesus taught the manna in the wilderness was not the True Bread from Heaven. Jesus was the bread from Heaven sent from God the Father for the eternal sustenance of all who believe Him. (John 6:32-40). When Jesus said, “I am the bread of life,” He declared Himself to the be what all people need and who will give life to all who receive Him. Those who take Jesus as their Savior will live forever.

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

August 7, 2024

Posted under

Christianity, Current Events

How should Christian’s respond to the opening of the Paris Olympics?

The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics flaunted transgenderism and celebrated sexual perversion in a display that was lewd and, paradoxically, reminiscent of The Last Supper. The reaction was quick and widespread. Some responded in outrage, some called for a boycott of the Olympics, and some demanded apologies from those responsible. Christians quickly responded and continue to the seek the best response to the shameful tableau. What should characterize a Christian response to disgraceful and displays?

First, men acting as women and promoting vile immorality is wicked. No country, organization or individual should celebrate depravity. The tragic irony of the Paris Olympics’ opening is the producers choice to honor the most egregious desecration of humanity during the prelude to a series of games exhibiting the pinnacle of human potential. The celebration of depraved biological delusion has no place alongside the exhibition of the ability, discipline and skill of the world’s most talented athletes. The bawdy display distracts from those who spent their entire lives in grueling training to reach the heights of their chosen sport. The performers ought to be ashamed of themselves for making the Olympics about them and not about the people who earned the right to be a part of the Olympic games.

Second, Christians should not be surprised when unsaved people act in godless ways. The Olympics games are not sponsored by Christian organizations to highlight the ability of Christian athletes. The Olympics are secular competitions sponsored by unsaved individuals for the entertainment of the lost. Some of the thousands of organizers, hosts, coaches, and athletes associated with the Olympics are Christians. However, Christians make up a small a minority of the total number of people involved. The Olympics have never been about Christian values. Christians should not be surprised by anti-Christian imagery appearing at non-Christian events. Americans are not surprised to find Satanic imagery at a heavy metal concert or to discover immodestly dressed women dancing provocatively during the halftime show of a football game. Nor should anyone be surprised that unsaved people would use an international forum to preach to millions of people their message of flagrant perversion.

Third, Christians should not be surprised by the ungodly acting in ungodly ways, but they should denounce the celebration of homosexuality and transgenderism as a great evil. The event promoted behaviors which God calls abominable, which are contrary to God’s commands, and which pervert God’s design for humanity. The Olympic opening has provided Christians with another opportunity to proclaim God’s design for mankind, marriage and sex.

Fourth, Christians need to be clear about the shamefulness and sinfulness of the abominable display, but they also must remember that the most active promoters of the most wicked, God-hating, humanity-destroying lifestyles are not the enemy. “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against . . . spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) The perpetrators of this perverse pageant are also victims. They are slaves bound in sin under Satanic dominion. Compassion must be displayed to those involved. The truth must be spoken and love must always characterize the declaration of truth. (Ephesians 4:15) Because the enemy is not fleshly, the weapons Christians are to employ are not fleshly. (2 Corinthians 10:4) Christians are commanded to conquer evil with good. (Romans 12:21) Hatred, name calling, and lies have no place in the Christian response to this event.

Finally, the Bible gives clear direction to Christians about how to respond when they and their Savior are mocked. Christians are not commanded to respond to scorn with outrage. Christians are commanded to, “lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness,” (1 Timothy 2:2) and to count themselves blessed because they know every slight will be repaid with abundant reward in Heaven. (Matthew 5:10)

Christians must remember God will judge all those who hate Him, His Son, and His children (Revelation 18:3-10) If the event was intended to be a mockery of Christianity or of Jesus- and those responsible for the display have denied the charge- then, unless they repent, all involved will be held accountable by God for their scorn of His Son and His children. The vulgar display will not go unpunished. God will vindicate the glory of His Son.

In the meantime, Christians must proclaim the message of Jesus. (John 15:27) The only hope for the lost world is salvation. The true problem with the world is not debauched sexuality. The true problem is mankind’s bondage to sin. The salvation of the lost is the only solution to this gross deformity of humanity currently masquerading as freedom, inclusiveness and love. This travesty ought to revive the Christian’s passion to proclaim the gospel to everyone because Christian’s recognize the only hope for the world is in the gospel. The Christian must remember the ultimate aim is not a moral world in which Biblical marriage is upheld, unborn lives are protected, church attendance is high and people are kind to each other. The Christian aim is the rescue of sinners from eternal hell to the eternal praise of God. The only way this will be accomplished is through the faithful preaching of the gospel. (Romans 1:16; 10:14-15) The most effective response to this shameful spectacle is the message of salvation from sin through faith in Jesus. Furthermore, the Second Epistle of Peter specifically defines how believers ought to live in a world hostile to Christians, Christ and Christianity. The right response to the world’s evil disdain is a life of quiet submission to authorities, faithfulness in good works, and obedience to God.

Christians ought to be deeply grieved by the flaunting of wickedness on such a massive scale. Christians ought to remain steadfast in their commitment to Biblical truth. Christians ought always to remember the greatest need of the world is not proper morals or more religion, but salvation from sin by Jesus. So Christians must respond to the 2024 Olympics’ opening the same way Christian’s were commanded to respond to scorn and depravity in first century Rome. Hate sin; endure persecution; preach the gospel; and do good to all men.

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

July 17, 2024

Posted under

Apparent Contradictions, Sin

Should Christians pray, “Lead us not into temptation”?

Jesus teaches His disciples to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:13) However, the book of James says, “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.” (James 1:13) If God does not tempt people to sin, why does Jesus instruct Christians to pray that God will not lead them into temptation?

Leading a person to temptation and tempting a person are incredibly different actions. Leading a person into temptation is putting someone in a position where they will be tempted by another. Tempting someone is actively working to convince a person to sin.

At times God does lead people into situations where they will be tempted. In Matthew 4:1 God the Spirit leads Jesus into temptation, “the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” When God created the world, He put Adam and Eve in a place where they would be tempted. God planted the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden. He could have put the forbidden tree on the other side of the world or not created it in the first place. He chose not to do so. God had a good purpose in forbidding that tree and also in putting it near Adam and Eve. God planted the tree knowing Satan would tempt them to eat from it, but God did not deceive Eve or tempt her to eat from the tree.

First Corinthians 10:13 says, “God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.” This means God prevents Christians from being tempted beyond their Spirit-enabled capability, and it means He allows Christians to be tempted. Being led into temptation is being brought to the point where another will do the tempting, but leading one into temptation is not the same as actively tempting someone to sin.

Being tempted is not sinful, though there are some things people call temptation which are actually sin. For example, someone may say he is being tempted to have an immoral relationship with someone who is not his spouse. That is not temptation. That is lust and covetousness. Jesus was led into temptation and that was not sinful. Jesus endured intense temptations and that was not sinful. Jesus faced all the same kinds of temptations we face, but He never sinned. God can lead someone to temptation without violating His holiness or compromising His righteousness.

God promises Christians He will provide a way of escape for them out of every temptation.(1 Corinthians 10:13) Though at times He leads them to be tempted, He never abandons them in their time of temptation. He actively works in them during their temptation, and He provides all they need to stand firm against sin. (Ephesians 6:10-13; James 4:7)

Though God directs people into situations where they will be tempted, He is never the one Who tempts. Satan seeks the destruction of people by tempting them into sinning. A person’s own desires tempt the individual by longing for those things which God has forbidden. (James 1:14)

We pray that God will not lead us into temptation because we know our own tendency to sin. We pray to be kept as far from temptation as possible, but we also pray, “Your will be done.” (Matthew 6:10) When Christians are tempted they can be certain God did not permit that temptation out of a desire to harm His children. He permits temptation for their good. God allows Christians to be tempted that they might be strengthened in obedience, confirmed in their faith, and matured in Christ. (Romans 5:3-5; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-7)

None should pray for temptation, but Christians should willingly endure it that they might grow in Christ and God be glorified. Whenever the child of God is tempted he can be confident God has permitted the temptation, the temptation is not more than he can bear, and God will always provide the strength to stand against sin. Whenever we are tempted to sin we can be certain God is not tempting us, and He has allowed it for our good.

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

July 9, 2024

Posted under

God, Humanity

What does it mean to be created in the image of God?

A surprisingly difficult concept in the Bible is the nature of the image of God in man. In Genesis 1 God said, “Let us make man in our own image.” (Genesis 1:26) The Bible then says “So God created man in His own image.” (Genesis 1:27) In what way is man created in God’s image?

A common presumption is that because man was created in God’s image, God looks like people. God is imagined as having two legs, two arms, forward facing eyes, a nose in the center of His face, an ear on each side of His head, opposable thumbs, and an upright stance. However, the Bible does not say the physical shape of man is a scale replica of God’s form.

The Bible does not define the image of God in man. The possibility exists that man’s general shape is like that of God’s but this is unlikely. The Bible never describes the actual appearance of God. The Bible describes the glory of God and the forms God took when He appeared to men. However, God appeared in various ways throughout Scripture. The most familiar forms God took are the forms of a man, a pillar of fire, and a great cloud of glory. The diversity of forms and the Biblical declaration that no one can see God show us God’s appearances in the Old Testament were always accommodated to the limitations of man.

Because the image of God in man is not clearly defined in the Bible, a wide range of opinions are held on this subject. Some believe man bears God’s image by being a three-part being with a body, soul, and spirit like God is one God in the three Persons of Father, Son, and Spirit. Others believe the image of God in man is the authority man has been given over creation. Others have suggested the image of God in man is humanity’s ability to distinguish between right and wrong. These beliefs may all be true. However, another explanation is preferred. The image of God in man is the moral ability God has created within every human being.

That the image of God in man is not to be found in a person’s physical appearance is evident from the Bible’s assertions about the incarnation of Jesus. Jesus is God the Son who became fully human while also remaining fully God. He is declared to be the perfect and complete representation of God to mankind. (Colossians 1:15; 2:9; Hebrews 1:3) This manifestation of God in the flesh did not include the visible glory of God. (Isaiah 53:2) The revelation of God in Jesus is declared to be one of grace and truth, not form and majesty. (John 1:14)

When a person is saved he is made a new creature who is to become more like Jesus. The imitation of Jesus is described in Colossians 3 as putting on the likeness of God. In Ephesians 4:24 the Christian is commanded to “put on the new man which is created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4 describes this imitation of God entirely in terms of the character of the person, not in their appearance.

“The new man” is the phrase used by the Apostle Paul to describe the new spiritual life given to a person at salvation. The saved are not immediately delivered from their tendency to sin. Instead, the sin nature remains in the person and fights against the things of God. (Galatians 5:17) The Christian is commanded to resist his sinful desires and pursue holy things. This pursuit of holiness is the same as putting on the new man. The new man is created, “according to God.” In other words, the new man looks like God. Colossians 3:10 makes this more clear. The new man is being remade, “according to the image of Him who created him.” The new man is the re-creation of the sinner into the image of God. This new man is characterized by selfless love, peace, joy, honesty, patience, goodness, kindness, humility and forgiveness. (Ephesians 4:25-32; Colossians 3:12-16) If the saved man is made a new creature whose expression of Godly character is the image and imitation of God, then the first man was created in the image of God by virtue of his being given a righteous character like God’s. Though the fall of man corrupts all the person does, yet a sense of kindness, goodness, and compassion still pervades humanity. This moral character, though tarnished, still reflects the character of God. The image of God in man is the ability in mankind to do good, to be selfless and to be kind to others.

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

June 21, 2024

Posted under

Death, Heaven, Hell, Resurrection

Do the dead have bodies before the resurrection?

A previous article compared spiritual beings with physical creatures, like humans. Many imagine the disembodied spirit of a person is in a worse state than someone who has a body. That a bodiless spirit is not necessarily in a worse state than those who possess is a body is evident from the superiority of God and the angels. God is a spirit without a body. (John 4:24) The angels are spirits without bodies. (Hebrews 1:14) God and the angels are greater than humans. (Psalm 8:4-5) Therefore, being bodiless is not necessarily to be in a worse state.

The hope of the Christian includes the promise of a glorified body. This promise will be fulfilled at the resurrection day. (1 Corinthians 15:42-44) The Bible does not teach the Christian to look forward to being without a body, but to anticipate the resurrection when he will receive a perfected body free from sin, sickness and death. (2 Corinthians 5:2) What about the time between death and the resurrection? The Bible teaches that the dead have a conscious existence in Heaven or Hell. Do Christians have intermediate bodies in Heaven while they wait for their glorified bodies?

God made man with a body and a soul. (Genesis 2:7) Some have concluded from this truth that a person must have a body. The Bible clearly teaches man is comprised of body and soul. The Bible declares the body without the spirit is dead. (James 2:26) Scripture never says the spirit without the body is dead, incomplete, or inferior. One can logically conclude from God’s creation of man as a body and spirit that the person must possess a body to be complete, However, that logical conclusion is not necessarily correct.

The Bible does not teach directly about the existence of a intermediate body after death. Twice Scripture says the deceased in Heaven are spirits. Revelation 6:9 mentions the souls of the martyrs stationed at the foot of the Heavenly altar. Hebrews 12:22-23 describes the Heavenly hope of the believer. The Christian’s hope includes being united with, “the spirits of just men made perfect.” These passages appear to indicate that at death the body is left behind and the spirit, or soul, of the saved person enters Heaven. The deceased believer exists in Heaven without a body until the day of resurrection. Nothing in the Bible suggests this disembodied condition is in any way less than ideal.

However, in Luke 16 Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus. This story is not a parable but a true account of two actual men. Lazarus died and was taken to Heaven. The rich man died and went to Hades, or Hell. In Hell the rich man desired water to cool his tongue. This is compelling evidence the rich man possessed a body in Hell. If the rich man had a body in Hell, then it is likely all the dead have physical bodies in Heaven or Hell.

The problem with this is argument is the complexity of Luke 16:19-31. Some of the challenges in this account include: serious debate about the historical nature of the account, the nature and location of Hades, and the relationship of Hades to Abraham’s Bosom. These uncertainties make Luke 16 a unstable foundation on which to build a body of doctrine. Without strong support from other Scriptures, Luke 16 is not able to uphold belief in an intermediate body.

The New Testament makes at least two specific references to the spirits of believers in Heaven and no clear references to the bodies of believers in Heaven. These references do not necessarily preclude the presence of an intermediate body. Without stronger Biblical evidence the dead are given an intermediate body, the better choice is to conclude that at death the spirits of the redeemed enter Heaven where they await the resurrection when they will once again be embodied.

Most importantly, the Bible does not speak directly to this matter. Clues are found in Scripture which lead to certain conclusions. The lack of direct Biblical teaching requires believers who have an opinion on this subject to hold that opinion with gentleness, without dogmatism, and without debate.

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

June 12, 2024

Posted under

Death, Heaven, Resurrection

Do people have bodies in Heaven?

Some Christian leaders teach that after death everyone is given a temporary body which will be theirs until the resurrection. At the resurrection all the saved will be given a glorified body which they will have for eternity. Other Christian leaders teach that at death the spirit of the person enters Heaven or Hell where it remains without a body until the resurrection. Which is correct? Are the deceased given intermediate bodies? A handful of passages in the Bible are crucial to this discussion. A later article will answer the question directly, but first the relative values of the spirit and the body need to be discussed.

Many people instinctively imagine being without a body is worse than having a body. Many seem to believe that if a person is a disembodied spirit then he is without a true form. For some, being a bodiless spirit in Heaven is akin to being a lonely ghost who haunts the halls of Heaven and longs for the day when it can finally be whole again.

Being a spirit without a body is not a worse state than having a body. The spiritual does not have mass and matter as understood in the physical universe, but the spiritual universe is quite real. The spiritual universe is in on way inferior to the physical. The Bible declares, “God is Spirit.” (John 4:24) He is entirely spiritual and without any physical substance (except in the person of Jesus, but that is a different issue for a different time). None can say God has no real substance. None can say God’s lack of a physical body is an inferior condition. God is the author of all matter. His spiritual existence is more significant and more real than the physical matter which comprises the material universe.

Additionally, angels are spiritual beings who do not possess physical substance. (Hebrews 1:14) At times they are given tangible forms, but their usual state of existence is non-physical. This does not mean angels are less real or less substantial than people. Humans are declared to be, “a little lower than the angels.” (Psalm 8:5) In Ephesians 6 the Bible indicates that the spiritual enemies of the Christian are more forceful than the physical enemies people are tempted to fixate on. Nothing in the Bible suggests that being a spirit is to have a lesser form of existence. Those beings who are greater than humans are purely spiritual beings.

Humans were created as physical and spiritual beings, but the Bible does not teach that being a spirit without a body is to be in a worse state. Human experience is limited to the present physical world. This limitation prevents a proper understanding the nature of the spiritual. Though no living person can understand what it is like to exist as a spirit alone, existing as a spirit without a body is not necessarily a worse state of being.