Does God Exist? (And Is He a Tame God?)

For this 1000th post,I would like to recap the ones that deal with the question of whether there exists a God who can intervene in history. Now the existence of such a God does not prove Christianity is true. But if there is such a God, the obvious place to look for Him is where it is claimed He has revealed Himself. And if we believe that evidence indicates there is such a God, we will examine the claims of these faiths in a different way than we would if we start with the conclusion there is no God.

1. We must avoid certain too simple counter arguments. (see, see, see)

2. Science does not prove there is not a God who intervenes in the world.(see, see, see)

3. The idea that there is no such thing as truth does not make sense.(see, see, see)

4. The natural world cannot be explained without God.(see, see, see)

5. Meaningful thought requires that there is something which transcends the mere physical universe. (see, see, see)

6. The existence of morality requires a Lawgiver. (see, see, see)

7. The existence of Christianity requires more than just a naturalistic explanation. (see)

No Quick Fixes

As I approach my 800th post and the end of my first four years of blogging, I would like recap one of the basic ideas behind what I write. The idea that there are no quick fixes.

No quick fixes for spirituality. (see, see and see)

No quick fixes for a properly functioning church.(see, see and see)

No quick fixes for teaching God's truth. (see, see and see)

No quick fixes for political action.(see, see and see)

No quick fixes for evangelism.(see, see, and see)

No quick fixes for convincing people of the truth of Christianity.(see, see and see)

No quick fixes for obtaining miraculous intervention. (see, see and see)

No quick fixes to eliminate all problems from the Christian life. (see, see and see)

We live in a culture of quick fixes and want everything immediately, from instant coffee, to fast food, to instant entertainment. But the deep traits that form the foundation of the Christian life can only be produced over time. And while I do not want to minimize the work of the Spirit in accomplishing this, I see no basis for saying He will do it instantaneously, according to our timetable. And I am convinced it is only when we lay aside our quick fixes and magic formulas that we can cultivate the deep faith that trusts God in every situation - that He wants to produce in us. 

Charismatic Calvinist Recap

After prayer and consideration I have decided, at least for the present, to discontinue posting at Meditations of a Charismatic Calvinist Who Does Not Speak in Tongues due to lack of traffic and the lack of time on my part to do justice to both blogs. I have re-posted  in this blog the main posts presented there. I have now finished with this job of re-posting, and I present here the final summary statement from that blog. I intend to go on in this blog posting items in line with those I originally posted in that one.

Now the point of that blog was to explore the possibility of connecting Calvinism and Charisma. Based on that, I would like to summarize what I have tried to say there.

We need to realize that God is in control and we can trust Him with the problems in our lives. see, see, see

Growth in Christ is a process and not the result of following a particular formula. see, see, see


God does do miracles today, but He does them according to His will. see, see, see

There is demonic influence in the world today, but it must be put in perspective. see, see, see

The miraculous spiritual gifts still exist today, but they are given according to God's will. see, see, see

I would conclude that, while the supernatural still happens today, it is dependent on God's will and is not, in the final analysis, something we can control.

Being His Hands and Feet

Old Erich Proverb: Organization is a good servant but a bad master.

I would like on this my 500th post to look at some of the things I have said about the church, which is the body of Christ, and on how to behave within that church (1 Timothy 3:15).

1. The church is Christ's body and consists of different parts that are brought together to accomplish His purposes (On Being the Body, Understanding Christ's Bride What Is the Church?


2. The unity of the church does not result from agreement on every teaching or from some broad vague inclusion, but from agreement on the basics (Basis of Unity, Breaking Out of the Circle, Superficial Unity)

3. While the church is to be organized, it is not primarily an organization, and it is not possible to solve all the problems of the church simply by rearranging the organization (A Preoccupation with Clothes, Reconstructing the Maze, Rearranging the Deck Chairs)

4. The authority of the church is not passed on mechanically, but is based on the faith of the members. (Who Is in Charge?, Binding and Loosing, Who Has Received the Authority?)

5. The validity of the sacraments is not based on the theory of them or on who administers them, but on the faith of the recipients. (The Badge of the Christian, Sign and Seal, Who Has the Authority)

6. There are various appropriate ways to worship God, and freedom should be allowed within broad boundaries. (The Fight Over the Celebration, The Worship War,   Spirit and Truth)

7. It is sometimes hard to get along within the context of the church, but we need by God's power to work to overcome our differences. (Sharks, The Dark Side of Community, In Search of the Perfect Relationship)

Living together within the context of the Christian church, whether local or universal, is not always an easy endeavor, but we need to promote the unity God calls us to (Philippians 2:1-11).

The Christ of History

Christianity is based around a series of historical events. It is not just an abstract philosophy. Though it has deep implications for our understanding of the universe. It is not just a system of ethics. Though it has profound effects on the way we behave. It is not just a mystical experience. Though it forms a basis for experiencing that presence of God in our lives. It is the message of how God invaded history, became a human being, lived a human life marked with profound teaching and supernatural events, died a criminal's death to paid the penalty for our sins, and rose again the third day. The question is, Is this believable? Now no one comes to God without the Spirit of God working in their lives (John 6:44; 15:5; Acts 13:48). But it is useful to look at the evidence.

1. The first question we need to ask before we can evaluate this is whether there is such a thing as truth. If there is not, then nothing makes any sense. (see), (see), and (see).

2. We also need to ask if science somehow precludes the idea of supernatural intervention. But this is simply an assumption without foundation. (see), (see), and (see).

3. Then we need to ask whether the records upon which the Christian faith is based are reliable  or whether they have been corrupted over time. The actual evidence, apart from speculation, is in their favor. (see), (see), and (see).

4. Also, we have to deal with the idea that someone deliberately altered what Christianity is. And this does not stand up to examination. (see), (see), and (see).

5. Further, the idea that Christianity grew up slowly over time or changed from its original set of beliefs does not fit the facts or the context it appeared in. (see), (see), and (see).

6. We are then faced with dealing with the reliability of the accounts and what they maintain. (see), (see), and (see). While those who refuse to even consider such possibilities will not be convinced, I conclude there is a real basis for the Christian faith.

Ultimately, we are left face to face with the person of Christ and must ask who we believe He is (Matthew 16:15). How we answer that is the basis for deciding the truth of Christianity. How do you answer this question?

Why I Am the Mad Theologian.

On this, my 100th post on this blog, I thought it good to pause and ask, "Why I am writing this, anyway?" Obviously, it is because I am convinced I have something to say. But it seems reasonable to inquire as to what that is and to present it in a summary, rather then piecemeal. The following, then, is a statement of my basic convictions:

1. I am convinced there are solid reasons for believing historic Biblical Christianity is true and that it is a mistake to desert the realm of objective truth for a realm of fuzzy subjective feelings, where anything can be justified. No one comes to Christ without a supernatural work of God in their lives, but that does not excuse our not upholding objective truth. see and see

2. I am convinced that if Christianity is true, then it is necessary for all believers to be grounded in this truth. Not that everyone needs to understand all difficult theological terminology, but it is the duty of the teacher to make clear the truth of God in terms people can understand. see and see

3. I am convinced that Scripture is the ultimate authority in the church, both in terms of what it teaches and does not teach. I believe the present divided state of the Christian church is contrary to Scripture, but the solution is not vague broadmindedness and good feelings, but asking what the Scripture itself regards as important. see and see

4. I am convinced we need to trust in God's power rather than our human ability and gimmicks. God did not promise that the world would respect us or make us comfortable, and we should not expect it, but rather persevere in God's service. see and see

5. I am convinced it is wrong to minimize God's grace. Rather, it is the person who has a clear understanding of that grace who will respond to God based on love for Him. Granted, some may distort this truth for their own ends, but we should not lose sight of our fundamental need of grace. see and see

6. I am convinced that the church is the people and that the organization exists for the people, not the other way around. This does not mean it is not important to distinguish between what people want and what they need or that we can ignore reaching out to the unsaved. But it does mean the welfare of the organization cannot be put first. see and see
7. But most of all I am convinced that the Christian life is a growth process, in which the Spirit of God works to transform all true believers over time. I therefore oppose all quick fixes and magic formulas for instant spiritually. They can lead to inadequately instructed people rushing frenetically around, trying to lift burdens they are unable to bear. Or it can produce complacency, where people sit around passively, feeling they have attained spirituality and leaving it to others (usually the pastor) to do the work of serving God. see, see and see