C.H.E. Sadaphal's Blog, page 5
November 10, 2016
WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE?
The bottom line: A succinct set of answers to a very complicated question.
You are a Christian and you want to be faithful to what the Bible says about being a “good citizen.” So how should you view the State and other secular authorities? Does the State always deserve total obedience? Is there ever a role for civil disobedience? Does the State play any role in the affairs of the church? What is the relationship of the State and other (non-Christian) religions? What happens when the State and the Church disagree?
What is the relationship between Church and State? manages to effectively address all of these questions in a very terse volume. Granted, this is a complicated issue, so even as the author admits, the full breadth of an answer is not fully addressed here.
R. C. Sproul basically uses the text from Romans 13 to clarify the Christian’s stance which is, generally speaking, civil obedience. He defines what the State is, what it is supposed to do, what the Church is supposed to do and how the two interact in modernity. He generally prefers civil obedience in the midst of a State that executes lawlessness and idolatry. He elucidates what the Bible says about civil disobedience, which is in fact lawful in some instances. Unfortunately, the reader of this book is also involuntarily exposed to some political and economic commentary that, in my opinion, is the author’s subjective interpretation of some objective Biblical principles.
What is the relationship between Church and State? is part of the Crucial Questions booklet series. The series offers Biblically sound answers to practical, real-life questions about the everyday Christian experience. Without a doubt, the series is very informative and a worthwhile resource.
Each selection in this volume tends to be less than 100 pages so you can get through a booklet in an afternoon. Furthermore, the fact that all of them are available for free (Kindle versions) is just icing on the cake. This book is excellent first step for any Christian who seeks to know more about how they interact with secular government, and will provide valuable information to Sunday school teachers, Christian educators, and Bible students.
Dr. C. H. E. Sadaphal
November 4, 2016
WHAT CHRISTIANS SHOULD KNOW (#WCSK) VOLUME ZERO PART IVB: WHY SUFFERING?
Picking up from last week…
How to deal with hardship
The Biblical model never asks Christians to deny, dismiss, or minimize misery. In fact, there is an entire book of the Bible (Lamentations) devoted to the expression of grief. As we discuss later, Job had his outpouring of grief and emotion memorialized for all time in the pages of Holy Scripture (e.g., Job 3:11, 19–20; 10:19). The Bible shows us that suffering is real and will (not may) be a part of our Christian experience. The Bible may not explain suffering, but it certainly does affirm that when we receive the cup of salvation from God, we also accept the contents of that cup. Accordingly, as the apostle tells us, “think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you” (I Peter 4:12, KJV). This certainly does not mean the Bible encourages glorifying or wallowing in melancholy. Rather, it simply acknowledges that the Christian walks on the via dolorosa, the road of sorrow that was first traversed by our Messiah, a Man of sorrows., Indeed, God is sovereign, and within His sovereignty is prescribed suffering, the exact reasons and mechanisms of which God has not fully revealed to us. These things remain mysterious, and as the Book of Job tells us, the title character never got a specific answer about why he suffered. In fact, God answers Job’s questions with enigmatic questions that don’t give specific answers but reveal who God is. And, although God is sovereign, we never look at our neighbors and say, “It all happened because of God’s will” and then casually shrug our shoulders to the misfortune of others.
Rather, our hope is grounded in the future, where God will alleviate all suffering, and this recognition animates our pursuit to be agents of easing in a world ripe with torment. God’s plan for suffering is more than restoration—it’s redemption whose eternal weight of glory far exceeds our present suffering. We thus look at those who are the most vulnerable and on the margins of society with a purposeful intent to make up for their suffering and the injustice they have experienced.
I will get into how to deal with suffering shortly. I want to pause briefly to detail how not to deal with suffering or to discuss secular coping mechanisms that have no validation in the Bible. Popular coping mechanisms often entail fleeing in times of hardship and result in a crisis of faith. It’s worth mentioning these strategies here because as is often the case, popular culture can infect sound Bible doctrine. Take note that the Bible repudiates any attempt to deal with suffering by substitution.
Do not deny suffering. Here, the way to …
October 29, 2016
WHAT CHRISTIANS SHOULD KNOW (#WCSK) VOLUME ZERO PART IVA: WHY SUFFERING?
“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Romans 5:3–5, KJV)
“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” (I Peter 5:10, KJV)
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” (James 1:2–4, KJV)
“Why suffering?” is a fundamental question that begs for ultimate truth in the form of an ultimate answer.
Why? Because we live in a world filled with suffering and our conscience tells us that suffering is a deviation from the norm. We contract diseases, feel ill, and desire to be healthy again, and then we recover. We injure ourselves and long to return to normal, and then our pain disappears and our wounds heal. We look at the world around us and ask questions like, “Why did those innocent children have to die?” and “Why did that building have to burn down?” Asking why presupposes a reason and a purpose behind circumstances. We search for an answer and come up empty, yet we still have a sense that an answer exists somewhere. We are forced to deal with the striking paradox that while we—human beings—stand above and have dominion over the rest of creation, we also have the heightened ability to reflect on our own misery. Because of our grandeur, we experience the greatest suffering.
Explaining why suffering exists would in fact be effortless if God did not claim to be good. We could then say that suffering is the result of a cruel and heartless deity. Similarly, providing reasons for the existence of suffering would be effortless if God did not claim to be omnipotent. Then we could simply say, “There’s nothing God could do because it was beyond His control.” The answer to this lesson’s central question would also be basic if evil was an illusion or if real people didn’t have to endure so much grief. The Bible tells us that God is both good and all-powerful, so we must reconcile these revelations with the brutal facts about our reality.
What I hope to convey is that while the Bible may not give everyone specific answers regarding why they suffer in unique situations, it does abound in general principles that equip us to deal with our perilous situations and to grow our faith by directing us to the only legitimate source of eternal hope, Jesus Christ. If nothing else, He is the one who perfectly demonstrated that suffering has meaning, that it is not for nothing, and that the path to new life by the power of the resurrection always goes directly through the pain, anguish, and torment of the Cross. One of the unique truth claims of the Christians faith—and what separates it from other false religions and fad ideologies—is that it tells us the story of our real-life Savior, who dealt with real-life suffering and who now forever stands as a shining tower of real-life hope. What the model of Jesus and God’s revelation to us in the Bible demonstrates is that truly, we will never have a comprehensive answer for all of life’s trials, but what we do have matters more: an empathetic God who will stand by our side in time of strife, never allowing us to experience more than we can handle. In the end, what matters more for a weary mother mourning the loss of her child and the broken husband who must watch his wife endure grueling pain? A scientific or causal explanation for present circumstances or the felt presence of an Almightily God who will extend His hand to comfort them and pick them up when their bones are crushed and their souls have dropped into the depths of the abyss?
In this section (Part I), I begin by examining how evil and free will …
October 1, 2016
TRUTHFINDER THREE: WHY IS THERE SOMETHING RATHER THAN NOTHING?
“Why does the universe exist?” is an ultimate question that begs for ultimate truth in the form of an ultimate answer.
Why? Because we live in a universe characterized by change.
We rise, become weary, and then go to sleep. We become infected with a virus, feel ill, and then recover. Our bodies naturally decay over time, and the balance of our 401(k) goes up and down. We seek explanations as to why our lives ebb and flow in this manner. We ask questions like, “Why is there suffering?” and “Why did that building burn down?” Often, we search for an answer, and our search comes up empty. Yet we still have a sense that an answer exists somewhere.
That we even ask why suggests we know that when something happens, there is a cause or reason. The mystery involves not how, but why, and science is able to explain the former but is ill equipped to provide reasons for the latter. In A Brief History of Time, the renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking asks the question, “Why does the universe go to all the bother of existing?” He did not produce an answer and instead places his hope in a yet-to-be-determined, all-encompassing physical theory that would explain the known universe and get inside the mind of God. In 2012, author Jim Holt asked a group of scientists the central question and title of his book, Why Does the World Exist? Many provided mechanisms for the existence of the universe—such as the multiverse, the appearance of existence from energy, and Platonic objects—yet these brilliant minds of science had no concrete idea as to why there is something rather than nothing.
Science is tasked with answering testable statements. “Why is there something?” is therefore not a question for science because it is not testable, and if we were to restrict our answer to science, what we are left with is not testable. (Even more, any answer that relies on physics, quantum mechanics, or any kind of natural law would require an explanation of how those laws came into existence in the first place!) Testing why the universe exists is like testing whether a tribe of flying spaghetti monsters lives in a distant galaxy. At the end of the day, no one was present to do empirical testing and ask whatever was happening at the beginning, “Why?” Rather, the answer to this episode’s question will rely primarily on logic and philosophy, leaving the mechanisms that proceed from why to the domain of the sciences. Ultimately, science offers a perfectly rational method for illuminating the mechanics of our physical reality, but as we touched upon in episode one, science as an all-encompassing worldview that attempts to offer answers to all of reality is a belief system that crumbles under its own weight. After all, there is a distinct difference between knowing only how a Rolex works with all of its fine-tuned systems and timing mechanisms versus knowing why it was made: for the purpose of telling the time (and for the owner, bragging rights). If we mocked people for asking “Why?” and “What for?” we’d be mocking people for trying to have a complete understanding of reality. Such a path is quite irrational.
September 9, 2016
WHAT CHRISTIANS SHOULD KNOW (#WCSK) VOLUME ZERO PART III: WHAT IF I AM NOT CERTAIN?
Introduction
The central point that I am going to explain in this lesson is that—as I have written many times before—the Christian walk is a step-by-step, incremental process. The reliable promise of a trustworthy God made clear through Christ is what animates this process. So, if you feel unsure or uncertain now, you ought not to feel dismayed, because that uncertainty is merely a stepping stone in a march that strives after resilient certainty and total assurance. Furthermore, feeling uncertain does not make you “inadequate” or “unfit,” nor does it give believers a free pass to wallow in the deep waters of insecurity without an intent to seek clarity. Rather, it entices Christians to “work out their own salvation” (c.f. Philippians 2:12) and pursue an eternally certain God.
The last episode addressed the question of whether or not faith was compatible with doubt. So, you may now be wondering how uncertainty is any different from doubt, or a lack of belief. The answer is that doubt tends to be a yes-or-no condition (like pregnancy), whereas certainty lies on a continuum. People, for example, either believe that Jesus is the Son of God or they doubt this fact. Yet, other folks can be more certain or less certain about some of the things that He said or some of the truth claims that the Bible makes. This interpretation finds validation in how certainty is defined: For example, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as “a quality or state of being certain” (emphasis added). This quality can be low or high, pointing to less certainty and more certainty, respectively.
Click below to get the podcast of this week’s lesson.
What I must also mention is that human beings live in a world that is highly uncertain, yet we comfortably go about our lives seemingly without the crippling burden of uncertainty in the midst of this highly unpredictable reality. In fact, the only thing that is absolutely certain about life is death.
When I prescribe patients antibiotics, for example, I am never 100% certain that they will work, yet I prescribe them anyway with reasonable certainty. Even more, the patient cannot be totally sure that they will be okay, but they walk away agreeing to adhere to the medication regimen. In the world of surgery, procedures are done every day without total certainty, and people still go ahead in the operating room. In fact, the lack of total certainty is never a reason not to operate. People get married without being 100% certain that it will work out. The other morning, I had a problem with our air conditioner, so I called a repairman. Was I absolutely certain that he would show up the next day? No, but I planned my morning around his anticipated visit. People buy insurance because they are not certain that they will not be the victims of theft. People can’t even be 100% certain that the sun will rise in the morning, but they go to bed without the felt anxiety over a dark tomorrow. The point I am trying to make with all of these examples is that in our everyday lives, certainty is not absolute, and in the realm of the day-to-day matters of faith, the rules do not change. The fact of the matter is that we may feel uncertain about God or what God says (the Bible), but these are things that are certain independent of how we feel about them.
Take the example of Moses (see Exodus 3:1 to 4:17) after he encountered God, who appeared to him by the burning bush. Moses had no room for doubt since he used his senses to directly witness the wonder of a bush before him that was on fire yet was not consumed. Even more, he had a direct conversation with The Lord. Then, God told Moses, “Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt” (3:10, KJV). In the subsequent conversation, God basically told Moses, “Go!” and Moses says something like, “Well, but I’m not exactly certain about …” In fact, Moses poses so many uncertainties with questions like, “What if they don’t believe me?” (paraphrase, 4:1) that the text says, “[T]he anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses” (4:14, KJV). The point here is that even the great figures in the Bible who were titans of faith were still human and succumbed to uncertainty in their relationship with God. As we read the narrative in the Bible, it is clear that ultimately, Moses was certainly certain about God but at times was uncertain about how God was going to interact with reality. This is a pressing point for modern Christians to learn from because the Bible makes very clear all the things that we can be absolutely certain about (discussed below). In contrast, the Bible is silent on many unique and specific realities of modern life, like your job, where to live, a mate, your health, or your finances. So, while we may be uncertain about temporal things, we can possess total certainty of eternity in the hands of a timeless and loving God.
So, what are the things in our walk that we can be certain about?
The first certainty: Judgment
In the end, all those who don’t hear will feel. People can run from God, mock God, or even deny that God exists, but no one can escape the certainty that judgment is coming.
In the final judgment, impenitent sinners will receive what is just: the wrath of God. This is bad news. The good news is that repentant believers who have faith in Christ as their Lord and Savior will be declared “not guilty” and instead of condemnation receive divine favor and an eternal inheritance (Psalms 96:10-13; Romans 4; Rev. 21) in a renewed and perfect creation.
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” (II Peter 3:9-14, KJV)
When the apostle Peter wrote these words thousands of years ago to the first-century church, he was writing to a group of believers who had developed the false impression that because of a presumed delay in Jesus coming back, God was not going to judge. May it never be! What these believers failed to realize is that not only is God’s sense of time remarkably different than ours (II Peter 3:8), but He is patient and wants to permit ample time so that people can come to repentance.
The centuries that have passed should not fool anyone: We can all be certain that final judgment is coming. No one can be certain when it is coming, only that it is coming. We can be certain that God is patient so that His chosen elect can turn from their evil ways, repent, and profess their faith in Christ. We can also be certain that although God is eternal, His patience is not. This entices the church to recognize that the proclamation of the good news is time-sensitive because only God holds tomorrow in His hands. Certainly, judgment will rectify all the injustice and evil in the world through the execution of God’s perfect justice. Our hope for the vindication of God’s purposes therefore rests not in this life, but on the other side of death.
The second certainty: Salvation
Predestination means that God predetermines everything before it happens. Election refers to predetermining the elect, or those people who are chosen to be saved. (There is an entire lesson on predestination and election as a part of WCSK Volume II.) When some people hear the word predestination, they tend to think of John Calvin or some offensive idea that says no matter what some people do, they are always going to hell. Yet, what many Christians may fail to realize is that election—or God’s unconditional, irrevocable choice—imparts upon believers a marvelous gift: certainty of salvation. In other words, if God has chosen you, absolutely nothing can revoke that selection. This unshakeable certainty from a sovereign God gives us security and a trustworthy guarantee from a steadfast promise-keeper.
We have certainty because of election because of the agent of election: God. As Ephesians 1:3-12 says, “He chose us … according to the kind intention of His will … according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will” (emphasis added). Because God is timeless and eternal, this decision happened before the beginning of time.
Election is an important concept because it clarifies the start of God’s grace in dealing with particular individuals. It signals that before we were even born, God’s grace was already in effect and had a predetermined plan for our lives: That plan ends in glorification, or being raised from the dead in new, imperishable bodies, having eternal life, and being in heaven with The Lord forever.
Romans 8:29-30 says (NASB):
“For those whom [God] foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”
What this beautiful passage in Romans tells us is that before we were thoughts in our parents’ minds, God already knew us and had a plan for us. He is the one who was acting, is acting, and will act to glorify us. So, while we may be uncertain of many things in between, we stand on the firm knowledge that before the foundation of the world, God’s plan was already in place. And, when God has a plan, there is nothing that can ever stop His plan from being fulfilledthat includes His plans for you.
The third certainty: God Himself
Solomon, the wisest man in the entire Bible, summed up the allegedly “certain” pleasures of life with one word: vanity.
“Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 2:11, KJV)
This assertion carries much weight because Solomon was a very rich king who did not deny himself anything. Even more, Solomon didn’t have everyday problems like you and I. I presume that if he did have an everyday problem, one of his servants would take care of it, or he would either buy it away or overpower it. My point is that there are many things that we are very uncertain about that he was very certain about, like relationships—the Bible says that Solomon had hundreds of women to choose from. It was only after chasing all of life’s pleasures that he realized that he was simply chasing after the wind. As it relates to modernity, people may think that temporal things will bring them certain happiness, security, and peace of mind, but none of these things last. So, you could, for example, be certain about the one billion dollars in your bank account, but when you die, you can’t take this “certainty” with you. What Solomon was trying to tell us is that natural things can give us transient or illusionary certainty, but when we die, all of these things cease to matter.
So, where does the wise person turn for certainty? To God and His Word:
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, KJV)
And, it is God’s Word that shall stand forever even as the grass fades and kingdoms fall (Isaiah 40:8; I Peter 1:25). It is God’s Word that tells us that the Almighty will be a just judge of everything, including acts that are good, evil, unseen, and seen. It is God’s Word that was incarnated and made visible in the Messiah, Jesus. He is the only flesh-and-bones certainty in an uncertain world. He is the one who lived, died, and then rose again, and it is because we are certain of the resurrection that we rest our hope on Him. By faith, our certainty is confident in Christ, the center of our hope. It is the peace of God that will guard our hearts and minds as we cast our worries on The Lord who cares for us. The Holy Spirit is who empowers our certainty in, and understanding of, God, who has a future plan for us all. When we do feel unsure, we ought to run to God (not away from Him), for it is written that when we lean on Him, He will make our paths straight. When we cast our burdens on a certain God, He is the one who sustains us and never allows the righteous to be moved. Our confidence in God will be rewarded, and when we dwell in God’s shelter, nothing can harm or deter us.
Conclusion
Practically speaking, if we encounter other Christians who are uncertain or feel insecure, the proper response is not condemnation or scorn, because this doesn’t actually solve the underlying problem. It is reasonable to ask why they may feel a particular way so that their uncertainties can be addressed. As Christians, we strive for perfection and for an ideal, knowing that perfection is impossible here on earth. (And, if it was, then what would be the point of heaven?) We must be diligent to build up others and strengthen our fellow brothers and sisters in the faith. There are many things in this life we will be uncertain about, but the real question is if those things have any eternal value. Because if they don’t, then of what value is it to you to be certain? On the other hand, there is only one thing that we need to be certain about that does have eternal weight, and His name is Jesus Christ. So, no matter who you are, no matter where you are, and no matter what situation you are going through, there will always be many, many things that you will be uncertain about, but the one thing that matters is the certainty we have in our Lord and Savior, Jesus, the only certain Person in an uncertain world.
Dr. C. H. E. Sadaphal
There may be a psychological need for certainty, but there is not a logical one.
Proverbs 11:21; Matthew 12:36; John 12:48; Romans 12:19, 14:10; I Corinthians 4:5; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:1-15
Matthew 24:36
Isaiah 45:25; John 6:44; I Corinthians 15:51-54; Philippians 3:21; I Thessalonians 4:16-17; I John 3:2-4; Revelation 21:1-22:21
Romans 8:28
I Kings 11:3
Ecclesiastes 1:14, 2:11
Philippians 4:6-7
I Peter 5:7
John 14:26
Jeremiah 29:11
Proverbs 3:5-6
Psalm 55:22
Hebrews 10:35
Psalm 91:1-16
I Thessalonians 5:11
September 5, 2016
TRUTHFINDER TWO: WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF IDEAS?
When it comes to what you believe are you prepared to accept all the consequences? Because if you are unsure or the answer is no, then perhaps it’s time to re-consider those foundational ideas that you hold close to your chest. Perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate what you believe and why.
TruthFinder: The Podcast is exactly what you need to assist you in the search for ultimate truth, and episode two is the vehicle that will help you to obtain meaningful answers to the critical question: What are the consequences of ideas?
In this episode, I will unpack the premise that to truly understand an idea means knowing its effects on your present reality, your future, and those around you. And, instead of blindly choosing a side in the dialectical struggle between belief and lack of belief, I’m going to take a step back and invite others to join me in the anatomy lab of ideas where I will dissect atheism and theism. What we find may shock and surprise you because on the inside, things may not be what they seem.
In episode two of TruthFinder we’ll learn about what gambling in space has to do with eternity, why some comic book “good guys” are really super-villains in disguise, how googling your medical complaint provides a good lesson on vetting a religious leaders, and how criticism is never meant to be a destination but a road to get you get somewhere else. Finally, you’ll learn what a religious zealot who lives in the desert on the other side of the world and a agnostic intellectual in Vermont have exactly in common.
This episode will energize you with fresh new insight and I hope will ignite fires of inspiration that animate countless discussions, debates, and new dialogues.
Follow the links below to get this episode.
Dr. C. H. E. Sadaphal
September 1, 2016
ON GUARD by WILLIAM LANE CRAIG
The bottom line: A book full of reasonable and rational arguments that equips Christians to intelligently defend what they believe.
On Guard does two things very well: (1) Prepare Christians with mature, well-developed arguments that properly defend the existence of God (2) Educate Christians who have never seriously thought about some of the peripheral philosophical and existential questions surrounding their faith.
In the end, On Guard succeeds in making you feel confident about your beliefs and thus eager to engage others. As Craig excels in explaining, Christianity is not based on “blind faith” but makes perfect rational and logical sense in the world in which we all live.
The book is roughly divided into three parts: the first two sections tend to work outside of the Bible and detail arguments for the existence of God from the stance of reason and philosophy. Here, Craig searches for answers to existential questions (e.g. Why does anything exist? Why did the universe begin? What about suffering?). These questions weigh evidence and tend to rely on science and logic alone. The final part works from within the Bible and provides historical and academic defenses for some of the Bible’s central truth claims including the existence of a historical Jesus and evidences of the resurrection.
In the first two parts of On Guard, the author makes his arguments by analyzing premises that support a conclusion. While this makes perfect logical sense, everyday people tend not to converse this way so a reader may afterwards find themselves unloading the arguments and breaking them down in more relatable ways. In a more formal academic debate, however, the way these arguments are presented may work perfectly. And from a personal standpoint, in a few instances the author will veer off into theology and make some claims that are debatable. Neither of these reservations take away from the power of the central thrust of the book.
Christians need at a minimum a clear and systematic way to defend and articulate what they believe and why. On Guard is not a one-stop solution but is a legitimate first step in the process that will equip you with the tools you need to engage in an informed, intelligent debate.
Dr. C. H. E. Sadaphal
August 11, 2016
TRUTHFINDER THE PODCAST: CRUCIAL ANSWERS TO CRITICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT BELIEF
TruthFinder is an exciting, fresh new podcast that sets out to find crucial answers to critical questions about belief.
The fact of the matter is that many people have critical questions about God, the Bible, and the Christian faith, and it is the lack of clarity and meaningful answers that can drive them away from Christ. Skepticism is on the rise and the pressing reality is that an increasing number of those in the younger generation (the “Nones”) do not have any type of religious affiliation. In TruthFinder, I will act as a reliable and trustworthy guide that will not only deliver reasonable answers based on intelligent faith, but will also wrestle with some of the most troubling, perplexing and existential questions the doubtful have in the modern era. Some these questions include: Why is there something rather than nothing? What difference does it make if God exists? What evidence is there for a “Blind Watchmaker”? For a a purposeful Creator? What’s the point of evil and suffering?
Why TruthFinder?
In preparation for this podcast, I have interviewed many people, most of whom are either atheist or agnostic. They have assumed many things about God and the Bible which do not reflect reality. I have also interviewed many believers, who also assumed many things about science and disbelief which do not reflect reality. As a Christian scientist, I hope to bring everyone to table in TruthFinder so that the truth will reign supreme and that mature, vetted beliefs will triumph.
What do you get out of it?
TruthFinder will not only provide clarity and intelligent answers to those who are undecided, but it will also provide assurance and confidence for those who already believe.
Below is the podcast launch video on YouTube:
The first episode of Truthfinder goes live on Saturday, August 13th. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Android by clicking below:
August 4, 2016
ADVERTISING HEADLINES THAT MAKE YOU RICH by DAVID GARFINKEL
The bottom line: A fair introduction on how to write persuasive headlines.
What Advertising Headlines does well is give you a basic introduction on how to write headlines that nudge people to read what you have to say whether that appears in a print article, online ad, or a commercial.
The key word is basic because you will in no way be a guru of headline writing when you are done reading this book. What you will be equipped with are 20 proven headline templates that can be tailored to your specific needs. Why are headlines important? Because as the author describes, headlines are what determine whether or not a person will read your copy, and, by implication, whether or not they buy what you are selling.
Part I of the book has twenty chapters each of which is devoted to a proven headline that works like, “Get Rid of that Nasty Habit Once and For All.” The author then gives about a dozen tweaks of his headline for specific businesses and then provides a few paragraphs on how to adapt the formula behind the headline to meet your unique goals. Each “chapter” is only about 1-2 pages on a Kindle so the logic that goes behind the headline is very sparse.
Part II of the book has ten brief chapters on what makes powerful headlines and why certain techniques work better than others. Here, you will find some useful nuggets like, “Where most people go wrong with headlines,” and “10 golden rules for writing powerful headlines.” A unique benefit is a section on how to apply techniques to Google Adwords and personal websites.
Potential readers should note and be prepared that scattered throughout Advertising Headlines are unwelcome intermissions where the author invites you to stop and buy his even more expensive advertising programs. As far as value is concerned, I paid $10 for the Kindle version which in my opinion is a bit of a stretch. Certainly if I paid $25 or more for the print version, I would be highly disappointed.
Dr. C. H. E. Sadaphal
July 29, 2016
WHAT CHRISTIANS SHOULD KNOW (#WCSK) VOLUME ZERO PART II: CAN I HAVE FAITH AND STILL HAVE DOUBTS?
Introduction
Let’s start by taking a look at what the Bible says about trusting in God and having doubts. (All verses below are taken from the ESV.)
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:5-8)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” (Proverbs 3:5-8)
“And have mercy on those who doubt.” (Jude 1:22)
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31)
Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)
“How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1)
From these verses, I get the overall impression that faith and doubt stand in contrast to one another, but they still stand side-by-side. Even more, experience informs the honest Christian that doubt is a very real component of their walk with God. As is commonly said, if bravery means persisting in the midst of fear, then faith means persisting in the midst of doubt.
What I hope to clarify in this lesson is that yes, you can have faith and still have doubts, but it is our faith that motivates us to strive forward in pursuit of a deeper, closer relationship with Jesus. As we mature in Christ, faith increases and doubt fades. Ultimately, doubt can act as an effective servant of truth when it wrestles fiercely and conquers those things that are appropriately doubtful.
The anatomy of doubt
As I have written in a prior lesson, faith means believing in a trustworthy God. Faith is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is the hallmark of a believer. In a general, secular sense, faith simply refers to having confidence or trust in something. And what is doubt? The New Oxford American Dictionary refers to it as “a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction.” Doubt is the hallmark of a skeptic. I will dissect the term doubt because its use in modern parlance is often misleading.
As defined, doubt refers to a temporary feeling of not being sure and a lack of conviction, but not the absence of conviction. What does this mean? That doubt does not equal unbelief.
And if doubt does not equal unbelief, it is not the opposite of faith. Os Guinness makes this distinction very clear:
“Contrary to widespread misunderstanding, doubt is not the same as unbelief, so it is not the opposite of faith. Rather it is a state of mind in suspension between faith and unbelief. To believe is to be in one mind about accepting something as true; to disbelieve is to be in one mind about rejecting it; and to doubt is to waver somewhere in between the two, and thus to be in two minds. This important distinction uncovers a major misconception of doubt—the idea that a believer betrays faith and surrenders to unbelief by doubting.”
Doubt therefore represents an internal war where people are divided against themselves. One side says, “I am sure,” while the other side asks, “Are you really sure that you’re sure?” In the battlefield of the mind, doubt is the force that swings the pendulum between belief and unbelief. This interpretation of having a two-fold mind is validated by the Greek words for doubt found in the New Testament. For example, the word for doubt in Jude 1:22 is diakrinō, which means “to separate thoroughly, to withdraw from, to learn by discrimination, to waver.” This informs us of the process of doubt—something dynamic that persuades someone to learn and discern what they truly believe—which enables a person to stop the pendulum and stand comfortably in what they have faith in. So while doubt is unsure, it is also investigatory and directs a person toward the assurance of belief.
Now let’s also be clear: doubt isn’t something to be taken lightly. It is not a casual entity to be embraced, because the world is full of people who doubt for the sake of doubting and who, in the end, don’t believe in anything but doubt. Our walk of faith has eternal ramifications, and Who we believe in is final and permanent. Doubt is very, very serious, but it is not final—it is a transition.
This realistic view of doubt also challenges two schools of thought about skepticism. On the one hand, it tells us that we can’t be too soft on doubt and embrace ambiguity. This leads to believers who constantly swing on a pendulum and waver between opinions. On the other hand, it tells us that we can’t ignore the reality of doubt and try to demonize people who have honest reservations. If this path is followed and the doubt is ignored, the person has no choice but to stuff the doubt deep down inside, where it can grow. This drives them away from the church and Christ.
The English definition of doubt emphasizes a feeling of uncertainty—doubt carries with it a strong emotional component. This emotionality is therefore susceptible to circumstances and situations, and this also helps to explain why doubt is more prevalent at night. Doubt need not be a permanent condition but rather a response to changing tides in life. Doubt is also learned—after all, a person can doubt only if they have learned certain things that draw them away from one belief to another. This means that as a person develops faith in one conviction, their doubts in alternatives increase. Seen from this perspective, doubt not only is compatible with faith, but is a necessary consequence of it.
Generally speaking, if a person doubts A, then they will have faith in B. Doubt by itself has no value because it is dependent and derivative. Doubt only has value as it points to an alternative, positive belief. Accordingly, as Timothy Keller writes in The Reason for God, “Every doubt, therefore, is based on a leap of faith.” So if you have faith in God, you tend to doubt that the universe just happened without a cause. If you are an atheist, you have faith in Darwinism and tend to doubt that God is the Creator of the universe. If you are a pacifist, you have faith in non-violence and tend to doubt the efficacy of war. So when we use this frame of thinking and apply it to faith in God, a reasonable way to approach the issue of doubt is to ask what a person’s alternatives are. That is, if they don’t have faith in God, do they have faith in something else, and why? Ultimately, eternity matters more than the present, and an inescapable certainty of life is that all people must die. If a person’s alternative does not provide a reliable promise of eternity backed up by Someone who has conquered death, perhaps it is time to begin doubting one’s doubts.
In the context of the Christian faith and life of the church, the goal is always to build up others and edify people. So, a person who has doubts isn’t a target to be vanquished, but rather someone to be compassionately engaged. Rejecting the person pushes them away from God while the doubt remains intact (and it may even swell due to the adverse response). Alternatively, engaging the doubt and addressing the person’s concerns can diminish skepticism and draw the individual closer to Christ. As an example, take the famous incident of doubting Thomas in John 20:24-29. There, Thomas refused to believe that Jesus rose from the dead unless he saw the nail marks in Christ’s hands, and he put his finger where the nails had pierced Jesus’s flesh. What did Jesus do? He certainly did not shun Thomas but actually showed Thomas proof and allowed him to investigate His crucified body. It is then that Jesus said, “Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” What was Thomas’s response? He said, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus, who graciously responded to Thomas and his doubts with future-oriented consideration, transformed doubting Thomas into believing Thomas. A similar instance happens in Mark 9:24 when a father admits that he has belief mixed up with unbelief, and he asks Jesus to help him. Christ responds by blessing the man and healing his son.
What is clearly certain is that any Christian who has doubts should begin to seek meaningful answers and clarity from resources that proclaim sound Christian doctrine and intelligent faith. When believers do this, they should pursue an answer that gives them peace and cures their restlessness. I advise everyone to seek a Christian teacher who is reliable and trustworthy. If you are sick, do you not look for a trustworthy doctor? If you have a legal problem, do you not look for a good lawyer? If you have a doubt problem, why look for anyone other than the author and the finisher of our faith? (Hebrews 12:2)
What is also certain is that if you have doubts, the last thing you should do is google your question or watch a YouTube video from the skeptic with this week’s most popular video. Remember, doubt by itself has no value unless it directs you to an alternative belief. It has always mesmerized me that people doubt Christ and then find “solace” in the idea that nothing produced everything, that people have no causal purpose, and that the uncertainty of a person’s eternal destiny is brushed off with a casual shrug of the shoulders. True, a person doesn’t necessarily need God to “take life by the horns” and be “happy,” but they also don’t need skepticism to do that either.
Doubt: A Biblical case study
When I first began thinking seriously about faith and doubt, one Bible story that came to mind was Matthew 14:22-33. In this well-known story, Peter and the disciples went ahead of Jesus and were traveling by boat across a lake. In the middle of the night, a storm struck and Jesus approached the boat by walking on water. The text says that all the disciples saw Christ and thought He was a ghost, so they cried out in fear. It is then that Jesus says, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (v. 27). This is what happens next:
Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!” (v. 28-33)
There were disciples (plural) in the boat, yet only Peter stepped out and walked toward Christ. And, in his pursuit of Jesus, he saw the wind and got scared. When he fell into the water, he called Jesus “Lord” and asked Christ to save him. Jesus graciously extended His hand and picked Peter up, telling him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” What does this tell us? That in Peter’s case, he had a little bit of faith that co-existed with doubt. Preachers like to beat Peter up in this story, yet they often neglect to mention the other disciples, who were crippled with fear and never got out of the boat in the first place. Even more, what is most reassuring about this story is that even when we step out in faith with doubts, it is Jesus, God’s Word made flesh, that will pick us up when we stumble. Less Jesus, we drown in the waters of doubt.
The astute Bible student will now say, “Wait a minute! What about Matthew 21:18-22—Jesus commands a fig tree, it withers, and then He says to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen” (v. 21). I would reply that the acute emphasis in this verse is not on doubt but on faith. Hence, it is the liberty from doubt that emerges from confidence in the power of God and in a request made that aligns with God’s will. To validate this understanding, consider Jesus’s words in Matthew 17:20 that highlight the same principle:
Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.
Furthermore, in Matthew 21:12, the Greek phrase that translates as “and do not doubt” uses a special nuance of the word diakrinō (as already discussed, this does not mean lack of belief), which can be discerned as “without hesitation.”
Conclusion: practical applications
The fact is that an overwhelming majority of Americans (more than 80%) believe in God, and Europe is becoming more religious. If anyone tells you that religion is on the decline around the globe, that statement is to be immediately doubted. Why? The fact is, excluding Buddhism, all major religions are projected to grow in number over the next 40 years (Islam is growing the fastest), while the number of people who are unaffiliated with any religion will make up a declining percentage of the global population. There is steady expansion of Christianity across the globe with explosive growth in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. So, scientific advancements of the modern world have not caused secularization or diminished the need for religion. However, adjacent to these phenomena is the reality that in America, doubt and skepticism are on the rise and are marked by increases in those who do not go to church and those who identify themselves as “Nones,” or having no religious preference. Cognizant of this polarization, a wise path to chart is not to shun the skeptical but to embrace them and reconcile the reservations they have with God, the Bible, and the Christian faith.
Doubt is like a fortress that defends against gullibility and a soldier that wields a sword that cuts away the counterfeit from the truth. Doubt actually signals the start of a search for that assured truth so that we may begin building upon what is clear in our minds. The danger in not having an honest conversation about doubt is that it will dissuade the development of vetted, mature beliefs. After all, people who have never taken the time to seek meaningful answers may find themselves crippled at the hands of a staunch skeptic, or may quickly flee from God in the midst of trouble. The goal is always maturity in Christ, and intelligent faith provides the clarity and meaningful answers that people need to navigate through the rough patches in their walk with God.
George Macdonald once said, “Doubts are the messengers of the Living One to the honest.” At some point in our Christian walk, we will all be plagued by doubt. Where do we go when we need comfort for our hearts and clarity for our minds? It is absolutely critical that we immerge ourselves in God’s timeless, unchanging, and certain Word, which is the light that guides us in the darkness (Psalm 119:105; Romans 10:17). God’s inspired Word is beneficial to us at all times of our life. As II Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” The reassuring news is that because God is sovereign, our doubts will never change who He is, what He has already done for us in Christ, or the fact that all things (even our doubts) come together for the good of His children (Romans 8:28). We may doubt, but God is the rock (Psalm 18:2) upon which we stand. Before the foundation of the world, He knew all about us and yet He still chose us (Ephesians 1:11), cognizant of all the doubts we would have. As we look to The Lord for assurance, He promises never to abandon us (Hebrews 13:5). Strong faith endures in the good times and the bad, and any honest Christian should not only anticipate the reality of doubt but also have a plan on how to address that doubt. Real, legitimate, Biblical faith can certainly pass the tests of the doubts of life, and in the end through Christ, it shall reign victorious and emerge stronger, more vigorous and more confident than it was before.
Have questions or doubts? Get clarity and meaningful answers. Email us: info@wcsk.org.
Dr. C. H. E. Sadaphal
Os Guinness, “I Believe in Doubt,” Ligonier.org (excerpted from Tabletalk Magazine), January 1st, 1992, last accessed July 21st, 2016, http://www.ligonier.org/learn/article...
For example, dialogizoma, dipsukos, meteorizomai, and distazo.
See Gary R. Habermas, Dealing with Doubt (Chicago: Moody Press, 1990). Full text of this book is available at http://www.garyhabermas.com/books/dea....
Timothy Keller, The Reason for God (New York: Riverhead Books, 2008), xviii.
I Corinthians 14:12; Ephesians 4:12
Douglas R. A. Hare, Matthew: Interpretation (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009), 243-44. For similar usage of diakrinō, see Acts 10:20, Romans 4:20, and James 1:6-8.
Ross Douthat, “Crisis of Faith,” The Atlantic, July/August 2007, http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/a...
“The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050,” Pew Research Center, last modified April 2nd, 2015, last accessed July 21st, 2016, http://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/re...
Krish Kandiah, “The Church is growing, and here are the figures that prove it,” Christianity Today, March 05, 2015, http://www.christiantoday.com/article...
See Peter L. Berger, ed., The Desecularization of the World: Resurgent Religion and World Politics (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1999).
“10 Facts About America’s Churchless,” The Barna Group, last modified December 10, 2014, last accessed July 19, 2016, https://www.barna.org/barna-update/cu...
See “Three Spiritual Journeys of Millennials,” The Barna Group, last modified June 3, 2013, last accessed July 19, 2016, https://www.barna.org/barna-update/millennials/612-three-spiritual-journeys-of-millennials.html. Millennials are the group most likely to have no religious preference.
