God in the dock.

C.S. Lewis wrote a book titled, “God in the Dock”.  A quote from that book:

“The ancient man approached God (or even the gods) as the accused person approaches his judge. For the modern man, the roles are quite reversed. He is the judge: God is in the dock. He is quite a kindly judge; if God should have a reasonable defense for being the god who permits war, poverty, and disease, he is ready to listen to it. The trial may even end in God’s acquittal. But the important thing is that man is on the bench and God is in the dock.”

― C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics

Today it is true.  Many Christians have put God in the dock and have become the judge of God Himself.  When the Christian cannot resolve: poverty, disease, death, war, famine, sexual unions or any other “controversial” topic in the Bible, God gets put on trial.  If a person’s view on these matters does not fit what they think it should be they inadvertently or on purpose become the judge and enter into the realm where only God belongs.

There is a disturbing trend today in the church to re-interpret the Word of God.  This re-interpretation is present because people cannot resolve how a “God of Love” could allow war, poverty, famine, etc. to exist.  The question then becomes “How can a Loving God allow: (fill in the blank)”.  Or how can a God of Love be against a certain behavior: (again, fill in the blank)”. 

So since they cannot resolve these issues they simply begin to re-interpret and basically re-write Scripture so that it fits into their world view.  Then God is parked in the dock and they have become the judge of God.   After all, God won’t mind.  He is a God of love.  He will say, it’s ok, I still love you.  It’s all about love right???

I think believers (if they are believers in the first place) need to remember some facts:

1. There is a God in Heaven separate from His Creation and you or I are not Him.

2. There is a conflict between good and evil and it’s WAY bigger than you and me. 

3. There is more to God’s character than just love, there is also: Sovereignty, Eternal Life, Justice, Absolute Righteousness, Omnipotence, Omnipresence, Omniscience, Immutability, and Veracity. 

4. If a believer does not like or agree with these other aspect’s of God’s character it does not change the face that they exist.

5. If person #1 believes what the Word of God states and then is accused by person #2 of being a bigot or old fashioned or unloving; consider that God, not person #1, is the One being accused of being a bigot or old fashioned or unloving.

6. God’s attributes are always perfect and fair and always have been. 

7. If at any time His attributes are not perfect and fair He would not be God.

8. His attributes of Justice and Righteousness work in conjunction with one another.  What the Righteousness of God demands His Justice executes. 

9. All of His attributes are based on His Divine will which is revealed in His Divine written Word.

10. Therefore those who go against His Divine Word have violated His Righteousness.  They will fall under His judgment, His justice will execute it.

11. Likewise, those who go with His Divine Word are in line with His Righteousness.  They will come under His blessing, His justice will execute it.

So if people do not like or agree with what God states in His Word about sexual unions or war or poverty or disease etc. they are in danger of condemnation from His justice.  Romans 1.18-32 makes this abundantly clear.

We would all do well to let God be God and trust His plan.    

The Fish

In the months and years after the ascension of Jesus Christ Christians became targets of persecution.  To be a follower of “the way” as it was called was to invite possible arrest, torture, and death.  Therefore believers at that time developed a system of identification to determine if those they met were for them or against them.  This system was the picture of a fish with five Greek letters in the middle.  The letters represented words which said: Jesus Christ God’s Son Savior.  

Legend states that as people met in streets or other places a person would draw one line of the fish in the sand.  If the person they met drew the other line then each knew that the other was a believer.  Today this symbol is everywhere; bumper stickers, magnets, necklaces, bracelets, business cards websites etc..

The simple phrase, “Jesus Christ God’s Son Savior” sums up the good news of Jesus Christ to the world.  He is the Son of God who became a man who died for the sins of the human race and provided salvation to any who put faith in His finished work.  Simple, concise, to the point; faith alone in Christ alone. 

And that is the message today.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is that simple.  But people try to make it complicated.  Thank God that Jesus Christ has done all that is necessary for salvation.  The only response that a person can make is faith alone in Christ alone.  Faith plus nothing.  Anything added to that simple message dishonors and discredits the Word of God, the Work of the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Don’t take that on yourself.  Just believe and relax.      

Literal vs. Allegorical

I and some like me interpret the Bible literally; that is, the Bible means what it says and it says what it means.  I am discovering that a literal interpretation of the Bible is becoming rare.  In fact a literal interpretation of God’s Word is being met with ridicule, laughter, and in some cases anger.  

I am forty nine years old so I am, statistically speaking, a little over half way to being physically dead.  Yet in terms of Biblical history I am barely a grease spot on the floor.  Yet in my short time on this earth I have seen some disturbing changes in the way people view the Bible.  More and more Pastors and the congregations they teach are drifting away from a literal interpretation of the Bible.  It is disturbing to say the least.  Instead of interpreting the Bible literally (it means what it says and says what it means) there is a tendency to “allegorize” the Bible.

Allegory defined- “a story, play, poem, picture or other work in which the characters and events represent particular qualities or ideas, related to morals, religion or politics”  (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/allegory?q=allegory) 

Therefore, If there are things you don’t like (violence, death, bloodshed etc.) you can just arrive at those conclusions that represent your “qualities or ideas” that uphold your “morals, religion, or politics”    

This type of thinking is dangerous to say the least.  Below is an example of what I’m talking about. 

Another sign of the Great Emergence in religion bears directly on our Gospel reading today, and that is the loss of confidence in the inerrancy of Scripture. Inerrancy is a fancy way of saying that you believe that everything in the Bible is historically accurate, internally consistent, and infallible. Our congregation gives witness to this shift away from belief in Biblical inerrancy when we say to one another that we take the Bible seriously but not literally. In other words, even though we acknowledge that the Bible is littered with contradictions and is not historical in the modern sense, we still trust in its authority as a divine communication from God. But that leaves us with the question of how do we read the Bible? If not literally or as history, then how do we make sense of an inconsistent and ancient text to find God speaking to us today? It is a perplexing question which some find so hard to answer that reading the Bible on their own is no longer part of their spiritual practice. 

But Jesus gave them and us a simple reading lesson – when you are reading the Biblical text don’t make the error of looking for historical facts or trying to resolve all the inconsistencies and especially don’t turn it into an idol by insisting on its infallibility.  (http://www.ravenfoundation.org/blogs/religion/jesus-gives-a-reading-lesson/)

These are excerpts from a sermon preached in a church that calls itself Christian.  Don’t take my word for it; go read the entire article at the link above.  

The time has come to take a stand for what is right and true.

The premise of the website above is that God cannot possibly be violent.  The cross was too violent.  The O.T. is too violent.  The book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ is too violent.    

They cannot resolve the “violence” in the Bible “literally” so they engage in “allegory” which in turn fits their “qualities and ideas” which supports their “morals, religion, or politics”.    

Is there an answer to the “violence” question in the Bible?  Absolutely, literally there is. :)

Hebrews 4.12, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,”

Space invaders, cops, soldiers, and Jesus.

Freedom comes from God.  God designed men to be free.  Adam and Even before the fall were free to roam, love, and live in the Garden of God.  Fellowship with the Creator was the normal condition.  God made only one rule; to not eat from the tree in the center.  But He gave them the choice to obey or not to obey.  He never bothered with their freedom.  God never pushed Himself on either one of them.  He never invaded their space uninvited.

Freedom has to do with space as in the air around you.  You are free to occupy your space and anyone who enters your space without your permission has violated your freedom.  As God never invaded the space of Adam and Eve, so we are not to invade the space of one another uninvited. 

Men and women who understand this principle over time formed communities which became towns and villages.  Violators of freedom or what we can call “space invaders” were punished.  Laws were established and people were appointed to enforce these laws; today we call this profession “law enforcement”.

 As the centuries progressed, towns and villages became cities and provinces and then became nations.  But then some nations did not regard the law of freedom as ordained by God and so nations had to form groups of people to maintain national freedom.  In this country, this profession is called the U.S. Armed Forces or the Military.

Today, “space invaders”, both individuals and nations are dealt with by that means necessary to effect voluntary compliance.  From simple words of warning up to physical death, freedom is ensured. 

In a fallen world, this form of governing works.  Those men who founded this nation understood these principles and wrote them into the constitution.  When the constitution is followed freedom is maintained and the “space invaders” are kept at bay. 

I spent 18 years in the profession of law enforcement therefore it was my job to keep the “space invaders” in my periphery at bay.  Consider that when the “space invader” invades the space of someone else he or she loses his or her space privileges and they are incarcerated or worse.  The same principle applies on a national scale as well.

Guess what?  sometimes I had to get “violent” with people to effect voluntary compliance.

I am also a Christian.  I have been one since the age of 12.  Therefore, the entire time I was in law enforcement I also was a believer in Jesus Christ. 

Due to the fact that I believe in a Constitutional Representative Republic, law enforcement, and a strong military and that I am a Christian; myself and those like me are labeled war mongering, violence loving, American Imperialists.  At least this is the case sometimes.  But honestly, all any of us are trying to do is keep the space invaders at bay.

Some Christians believe that we are to live a life of peace at any cost.  To allow the space invaders to have their way and let God deal with them.  After all, Jesus Himself allowed the space invaders to nail Him to a cross.

In the Old Testament, one of the names of Jesus is “The Lord of Heaven’s Army’s” or “The Captain of the host of the Lord” which are military titles.  Long before Jesus was the suffering Servant, the humble God-man who hung on the cross, He is first of all the Captain of the Angelic Army currently billeted in Heaven. 

Jesus when He came to the earth He was on a covert mission behind enemy lines.  The ultimate space invader named Satan had won a victory in the Garden of God.  So Jesus in turn set aside His command long enough to take out the space invader at the cross and resurrection.  His mission at that time required Him to be humble and merciful so that we could have our space back.

So today, what about military, violence, law enforcement and the body of Christ?  How does it all work together?

The answer is freedom.  Law enforcement and the military (as designated in the constitution) are designed to keep the space invaders at bay.   And sometimes the space invaders choose not to comply easily so violence is required. When the space invader is kept at bay then freedom reigns.  When freedom reigns then the design of God for the human race works even in the midst of a fallen world.

By the way, when Jesus returns He will be in battle array, ready or war, and will have to use violence on a scale never before seen in human history (Psalm 2, Psalm 110, Zechariah 14, Revelation 19) to name but a few.

To end on a good note, Jesus loves the space invaders as well.  They just need to let Him invade their space :)