Steven Colborne's Blog, page 89

Hearing Voices or Hearing God?

Have you ever heard a Christian say, “God placed it on my heart” to do such and such? Let’s take a brief look at what a statement like this might mean, and what it says about the relationship between God and human beings.

I believe that when we say God places something on our heart, what’s really happening is that we’re acknowledging that God is able to communicate directly with us. There is no chasm between God and human beings; on the contrary, God is intimitely involved in the ideas and motivations and desires we have.

This can only be the case if certain things are true about God. For instance, God must be present in our minds, bodies, and spirits. This makes sense if we understand God to be omnipresent, as many theologians have proposed. Omnipresence means God is literally everywhere, including in every cell of our bodies.

In this context, is it so hard to imagine God speaks to us?

I believe there is a certain stigma amongst Christians about saying God speaks to us, because we don’t want to be judged as insane. To believers, it’s quite a natural thing to say God spoke to us about this or that, but to unbelievers, who don’t hear the voice of God, it can seem like a sign of mental illness.

The point I wish to make here is that it is perfectly normal, sane, and logical to experience God talking to us. Here’s how I described this kind of experience in a recent post:

God is capable of producing in human beings a mode of mind that is like a veil – it prevents us being aware of Him. He is also able to reveal Himself to the human mind, by speaking directly to it in a mode similar to but distinct from contemplative thought. It is God who makes thoughts arise in our minds, both contemplative thoughts, and those thoughts that are His speech to us. We can experience thoughts that are ours, and others that are God’s. They are similar, but distinct, and all are from God.

I like to refer to God as the ‘cosmic animator’. He is a living God, and He exists as boundless being in this single eternal moment. As I have already indicated, there is no separateness between God and any of His creation. So it is logical that as well as animating everything in the macrocosm (e.g. the movement of planets and other celestial objects), He is also animating everything in the microcosm (e.g. the beating of our hearts, the digestion of our food, the growing of our hair, and yes, even the the workings of our minds).

There is a certain mystery about what exactly the mind is, but I believe neuroscientists are quite wrong when they use language that implies the mind is synonymous with the brain (see this post). There is a spiritual dimension to thought, and I’m quite sure that thought has it’s origin in God, rather than in the physical matter of the brain.

I realise this understanding has profound implications for secular societies that hold to a materialist ideology. We seem to think that scanning brains holds the key to understanding the nature of thought and belief. Psychiatrists prescribe drugs that target the chemicals in our brains in order to try to counteract mental states that are seen as brain disorders. Perhaps the reason why there are so few recoveries from so-called mental illnesses is because they are treated in a materialistic rather than a spiritual way.

God communicates with different people in different ways. Perhaps not every Christian hears the voice of God in the way I have described above, and that’s perfectly okay. God is speaking to everyone all the time; when we read, when we converse, when we listen to music, and when we analyse, consider, and reflect. God also talks to people in more dramatic ways, like dreams and visions. But if God speaks directly to your mind in an intimate and personal way, you’re not crazy, you’re just in touch with the being who created you, who sustains you, and who animates your life.

Exciting Book News

I absolutely love writing about theology and spirituality, and regular visitors to this blog will know that I have written a couple of books describing my spiritual journey and theological perspective.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been working hard to make my writing easier for people to access. I’ve made a number of papers I’ve written available as free downloads from the Essays page on my blog, and the response has been really encouraging. I’d now like to introduce a way you can find out more about my books and purchase them in a quick, cheap, and easy way.

First up, my debut book release ‘The Philosophy of a Mad Man’, which was published by SilverWood Books back in 2012. It’s available worldwide in a range of different formats, but the most popular are the paperback and the Kindle versions. You can now find out all about the book and buy a copy here:

www.thephilosophyofamadman.info

Second, my most recent book release, entitled ‘Ultimate Truth: God Beyond Religion’. I’ve created a short book trailer for this release, and you can watch that as well as find out all about the book at the following URL:

www.godbeyondreligion.info

I’ve tried to streamline the purchase process on these websites, so there are two simple payment options. You can buy through PayPal (paperback version) or Gumroad (Kindle version), and there is free worldwide delivery. I won’t be making a profit from these sales as I wanted to keep the prices low with the aim of reaching more people.

Thank you so much for supporting my work. I’d love to get your feedback on all of this, so please contact me if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.

Making Plans

Nothing is definite. Everything in transient. God is in control of every aspect of our lives, and yet we are forced to live with uncertainty. The Bible tells us that God knows even the number of hairs on our heads; that’s how close He is. He is behind every heartbeat, and every thought and emotion.

We can be certain of God’s existence, and of His intimate involvement in our lives, yet the truth is that God can alter the trajectory of our lives at any moment. How do we deal with this reality?

While our perspective is limited and veiled, God sees the bigger picture. Our problems may seem gigantic and painful and insurmountable, but to God there is a universe of infinite possibilities, and because He is in control, we are able to believe He can deliver us from the circumstances that trouble our minds, bodies, and spirits.

It is a great blessing to be aware that God exists. When God reveals Himself and begins to speak into our lives, our perspective shifts, and we live out each day focused on Him and in dependence on Him. The New Testament writer of the book of James knew this only too well:

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:13-16)

I do not see in the above scripture any instruction against thinking about the future, but rather a note of caution. Things might not turn out as you expect. As the proverb goes, when we make plans, God laughs.

So, in respect of this, knowing God is a double-edged sword. We gain security from the knowledge that God is in control, but we never know what each day will bring, which can be frightening and unsettling. I think all of this can be summed up in a single word which points us to the essential ingredient in this mysterious existence. That word is ‘faith’, and in a greater or lesser measure, we all must have it.

What is a Soul?

I’ve always found it interesting that Aristotle believed plants have souls. It’s difficult for me to imagine that there is some part of a plant that is immaterial. On the other hand, if plants don’t have souls, what is it that makes them grow and flower and express such beautiful complexity?

I believe the being of God pervades all parts of existence. This considered, I can see how God animates the world, including everything that grows and everything that breathes. God is an omnipresent, all-powerful, living being, who is in control of all activity in existence. This explains why we see change occurring constantly in all God has created.

But did God create souls? And if so, what are they?

Philosophers talk about the attributes of the soul being things like reason, character, feeling, memory, consciousness, perception, thinking, etc. I can appreciate all of these things are immaterial aspects of human beings, but I find it hard to accept that they have substance. However, the conventional view of the soul is that it is something that lives on after death, aside from the material body. What is the nature of this entity that lives on, that is not physical, but still has a range of attributes of which our minds can conceive?

In my paper entitled The Human Soul in Plato and Christianity I explore the question of the existence of souls in greater depth. The paper is available as a free PDF download from this blog, on the Essays page.

You are welcome to share thoughts and resources relating to this discussion of the existence of souls in the comments below. Thank you.

An Almighty Predicament

Regular visitors to my blog will know that there is an important matter, related to free will and the nature of God, with which I have been struggling for years. I thought it was about time that I fully expressed my thoughts on this issue, and if you’re a God-fearing person (or even a curious atheist), you might be interested to read what I have to say.

So the sole purpose of this post is to point you to a paper I’ve spent the last few weeks working on and that I’ve just uploaded to my Essays page. The essay is called An Almighty Predicament: A Discourse on the Arguments For and Against Christianity and you can download it for free here.

As always, your thoughts and feedback would be appreciated.

Is Everything Subjective?

When I was studying for my undergraduate degree I remember writing a dissertation on the subjectivity of musical meaning. My argument was that the meaning of a piece of music is encapsulated not so much in the sounds we hear, but in the context in which we listen. My argument located musical meaning in the mind of the listener, rather than in the sound of the music.

While I was writing about this I began to consider subjectivity in other areas of life, and started to doubt there was any such thing as objective truth. Surely, I thought, everything is subjective. Even in the domain of science, where objectivity defines a way of thinking, I started to see that it was scientific minds that formulated truth, rather than there being any kind of objective reality.

It’s been a while since I’ve considered these things deeply, and no doubt my worldview has changed since I began to believe in God and study theology. If I reread my dissertation today it’s likely that I would cringe at certain statements I made concerning the absolute subjectivity of all things. Having said that, I do believe I was making an important point, and I read a quote today that is just the kind of thing I would have written back at uni:

You cannot write history without betraying your personal interest, because, from all that happens, you select the things that you are interested in and that you think are important.

(‘Unlocking the Bible’ by David Pawson, p703)

As with music, and perhaps science, history has a strong subjective element, and from a theological perspective we could say that the biblical authors were biased by their cultural background and circumstances.

On the other hand, it could be argued that due to the inspired nature of Scripture (see 2 Peter 1:21), the Bible is a rare example of how objective truth does exist. In this context, there is a relationship between objectivity and authority (we see this in the truth claims of scientists as well) – for if everything in Scripture is open to infinite interpretations this detracts from the force of any argument in favour of the Bible’s infallibility and inerrancy.

With this in mind, I’ll close with the following thought (which I expand upon in my books) and this is something for advocates of Sola Scriptura to consider:

Truth is not encapsulated in the markings on a page, but is the result of God working in the minds of human beings as they read.

Wouldn’t you agree?

Three Views of Hell

In this post I will give a brief overview of three different positions that theologians take concerning the doctrine of hell. My discussion will merely offer brief definitions and a few key scriptures with the aim of encouraging readers toward further study on this subject.

Perhaps my key point is that the Christian view of hell is not straightforward. I have listed a few books at the close of the article, and if you choose to read them, you will see that respected Christian pastors, teachers, and theologians have a range of views concerning the biblical account of hell.

1. Traditionalism

This is a dualistic view of hell. Those who have accepted Christ as Lord and saviour will spend eternity in heaven, and those who have not are under the wrath of God and will spend eternity in hell, which is a place of everlasting torment. This torment is often described as ‘eternal conscious torment’ (ECT) and is perhaps the most fearful position Christians take when discussing the afterlife.

A passage of scripture that depicts this kind of vision of the afterlife is Luke 16 and the story of the rich man and Lazarus. In the story, Jesus tells of a rich man suffering torment in hell, while Lazarus, a poor beggar during his earthly life, is in the comfort of heaven with the great patriarch Abraham.

Another popular scripture in support of the traditionalist position is Matthew 25:46 where Jesus is talking about judgment and says “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

2. Conditionalism

In this view, the word ‘punishment’ in Matthew 25:46 (quoted above) means a death that will last forever, rather than eternal conscious torment. Conditionalists believe in annihilationism; that after the final judgment those who have not been saved will simply cease to exist; they will die and their consciousness will end.

Passages such as Romans 2:7, 1 Corinthians 15:53-54 and 2 Timothy 1:10 are understood by conditionalists to indicate that ‘immortality’ and ‘eternal life’ are the reward solely of those who are saved, the implication being that mortality and a temporal life are the penalty for those who do not receive salvation.

This position is perhaps less frightening and more appealing to non-Christians, as surely it is a better outcome for our souls than ECT.

3. Universalism

The universalist view is that nobody, even the unsaved, will suffer for eternity or be annihilated, but eventually (perhaps after a spell in purgatory) every human soul will be reconciled to God. It goes without saying that this is the most optimistic position, but it is hard to find a consistent biblical interpretation that supports this view.

Arguments in support of universalism normally point to the idea that Jesus’ death on the cross atoned for the sins of all humanity and not just an elect group. For instance, universalists might point to John 12:32, where Jesus says “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”

Closing Remarks

It has not been my intention to go into detail here, but rather to give a simple definition of three different Christian views of hell. I have presented my own views on the afterlife elsewhere on this blog and in my books. If there is something (an idea, opinion, or resource perhaps) that you would like to share on this subject you are welcome to leave a comment below.

Further Reading

‘Erasing Hell’ by Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle (David C. Cook, 2011)

‘Love Wins’ by Rob Bell (Collins, 2011)

‘Rethinking Hell’ by Christopher Date (Cascade Books 2014)

‘The Road to Hell’ by David Pawson (Hodder & Stoughton Religious, 1996)

The Flexibility of God

In my studies in recent years I’ve focused a great deal of energy and attention on trying to understand the nature of God. This is not a purely intellectual pursuit, as the way we see God has huge implications in terms of how we view different religions, and their doctrines. Our view of God affects the way we understand salvation, predestination, sin, judgment, and many other important issues.

In my writing (both on this blog and in my books) I have presented arguments that point to God’s sovereignty over all events, owing to the attribute of ‘omnipresence’ that I believe God has. If God is everywhere, then it follows that He is making all events and activity happen.

But the point I want to make in this brief post is that there is a certain flexibility in the will of God. God is a living God. He did not set the universe in motion, and then recline back on His throne in heaven and watch while everything unfolds in a mechanical fashion, as deists or determinists might argue. There is not separation between God and creation in this way, but instead God’s presence pervades every part of the universe, and there is nowhere in existence where God is not.

In the book of Psalms, we read: “Whatever the Lord pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places.” (Psalm 135:6) This scripture depicts an active God who is present everywhere. Also, in the Book of Acts, Paul says, speaking of God, “For in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). This scripture depicts the kind of panentheistic God I believe in; a God who is greater than His creation but all of His creation exists within Him.

In Unlocking the Bible by David Pawson, which I’m currently reading, there is a quote which stood out and prompted me to write this post. Here’s what Pawson says:

“There’s a flexibility in God’s sovereignty that we really must hold very precious, lest we slip in to the idea that God has predetermined everything, and we do not matter.” (p647)

I love Pawson’s use of the word ‘flexibility’. If God is living, and omnipresent, then in every moment He has the power to choose how He unfolds the story of creation.

Now it may be the case, as Christians would argue, that God has a plan for His creation, which He has revealed in Scripture. I am not denying that God can make plans. What I am arguing is that there is nothing to stop God from choosing to unfold His creation in any way He chooses. God may make plans for the future, but they are not determined until He brings them about. This is the flexibility of God, and if you think about it, it’s a wonderful thing.

Creation and Creator

I found this diagram really useful in depicting the different ways people see the relationship between God and the universe:

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In theism, God and the universe are separate, but God can intervene in creation. In deism, God and the universe are separate and distinct from one other, with no interaction between the two. In pantheism, God and the universe are one and the same. In atheism, the universe exists, but God doesn’t. And finally, in panentheism, the universe is ‘in God’.

I believe that God is omnipresent, and importantly, He did not only create the universe but He also sustains it. Every atom is being held in existence by God. Because I don’t believe anything can exist independently of God, I see a problem in the ‘theism’ model, which depicts a God who is only sometimes involved in creation. For similar reasons, the deism model doesn’t work, as it depicts a universe existing totally independent of God.

I obviously take issue with the atheism model, as I believe creation requires a creator. I don’t like the pantheism model either, as it seems to imply that if the universe ceased to exist, so would God, and this can’t be right. God is more than the universe.

So this leads me to panentheism, the model where creation is in God, but God is more than creation. This makes good sense to me; God is obviously greater than anything He creates, but He also has a sustaining role as He holds in existence all He creates. He could destroy the universe and yet would remain perfect and whole.

Which of these models do you feel is right, and why?

Some Truths About God

There is only one God, who is omnipresent, and therefore all that exists. The entirety of creation is God’s self-expression, and there is nothing that exists that is not a part of God. Every created thing is sustained by God, and under His direct control. All creatures are like puppets in the metaphorical hands of God.

God has existed eternally; He never had a beginning and will never have an end. His essence is beyond definition, but He is not a material object like a human being, He is pure being or spirit. God is living in this single eternal moment – existence and God are not ontologically different from one another.

God is self-sufficient, independent, and autonomous (attributes which describe His aseity).

God is capable of producing in human beings a mode of mind that is like a veil – it prevents us being aware of Him. He is also able to reveal Himself to the human mind, by speaking directly to it in a mode similar to but distinct from contemplative thought. It is God who makes thoughts arise in our minds, both contemplative thoughts, and those thoughts that are His speech to us. We can experience thoughts that are ours, and others that are God’s. They are similar, but distinct, and all are from God.

As well as speaking to us directly, God also reveals Himself in visions, dreams, and Scriptures. For those to whom God has granted insight, the wonder and harmony of creation is further evidence of His existence and His nature.

God is the creator of every object, the author of every book, the composer of every song. We can observe that He is able to create billions of distinct objects and creatures, and so we say He is infinite in His creative powers.

God has created every belief and every religion. Every idea is an expression from God. All that humans call good, and all that they call evil, are from God. It is impossible for anything to happen that is not the will of God, so we do not have free will.