George Washington along with many Christians prized integrity for several centuries in both colonial and republican (our cconstitutional rrepublic) America. That does not need mean that these men were perfect nor does it mean that America is without blemish, for she has many. However, when someone took an oath or vow in which integrity was on the line, it was serious because that vow or oath was in the name of The God of the Bible. They were not made rashly, and they were not made on unBiblical grounds.
However, integrity is an after thought today. Why?
As America has left its Christian base, its moral compass has been abandoned for relativism and situational ethics. For this reason, integrity means very little to most people, and the results are enormous. Not only does this affect the court system in cases of perjury, but it affects everyday life, especially marriage. American citizenry looks for ways out of honesty instead of binding its conscience to that which is honorable. Ironically, to be honorable today is to be outdated and old-fashioned.
How shall we then live?
As Christians, we are held to a higher standard no matter the era or culture we live in. We must not let the wiles of the world, the flesh, and the Devil deter us from that which good, loving, holy, and just. We are to honor parents, spouses, etc., and we must do this with great fervor in the realm of integrity.
Therefore, let us walk in Biblical honesty and be circumcised of heart that our praise maycome from God and not merely men from religiosity and a culture that is steeped in dishonesty.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Government Education: Can't Reclaim What Was Never Ours
K-12 Public School is most definitely not something we ought to spend time 'reclaiming'; it was never ours to begin with. Compulsory public education has always worshipped according the the religion of statism. Simply put, the state is the provider and protector in all areas of life. It is especially suited for a people who are controlled by a socialist mentality.
I realize that many Christians have tried to even use it as a mission field, but when most children come out agnostics or practical atheists, this should sound the alarm. Public school is not a mission field, it is a mine field. Furthermore, those teachers and admnistraters who try to bring the gospel either get fired or lose their saltiness.
There is a better way: homeschool.
I realize that many Christians have tried to even use it as a mission field, but when most children come out agnostics or practical atheists, this should sound the alarm. Public school is not a mission field, it is a mine field. Furthermore, those teachers and admnistraters who try to bring the gospel either get fired or lose their saltiness.
There is a better way: homeschool.
Friday, January 6, 2012
In The News: Republican Presidential Nomination
The race for the Republican Presidential Nomination has begun to cast its first votes. How should we think about politics as a Christian?
We are blessed to live in a society where we have a vote, which means that we can choose our officials. However, a majority is required to elect the best candidates. Often times, the best candidate is not elected, but that does not mean we cannot force critical issues like abortion, out of control debt, etc. into the political fray.
Ultimately, we are held accountable for how we vote by the Almighty. He is sovereign over all things, and nothing occurs without his decree. For this reason, we ought not panic when things go array. We are not held responsible for the results, but we are held responsible for the stewardship that we have been given, whether voting or our own personal finances.
We are blessed to live in a society where we have a vote, which means that we can choose our officials. However, a majority is required to elect the best candidates. Often times, the best candidate is not elected, but that does not mean we cannot force critical issues like abortion, out of control debt, etc. into the political fray.
Ultimately, we are held accountable for how we vote by the Almighty. He is sovereign over all things, and nothing occurs without his decree. For this reason, we ought not panic when things go array. We are not held responsible for the results, but we are held responsible for the stewardship that we have been given, whether voting or our own personal finances.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Defining Worldview
Worldview has been defined in numerous ways, yet it usually encapsulates both thought (known or unknown) and action. It can be simply defined as that body of beliefs (known or unknown) that one treasures and applies to life. I use the term treasure because where your treasure is, there your heart lies. I say known or unknown because there some things that we acknowledge as part of our belief system and other things that are there but that we may suppress or be ignorant of. Furthermore, what your heart treasures will be expressed in thought, deed, and word. This is to imply that whatever a man treasures as his system of belief will then be intrepeted and applied to all of life according to these respective principles which he then proclaims and lives out.
No one is without a worldview, which means that no one is unbiased. Bias is not always negative, but it is there. For example, a judge that treasures life will not be very lenient on a convicted murderer. Likewise, a NAZI will see no problem murdering Jews becuase his worldview rejoices in it. Bias is important to point out because many people believe that they are or can be unbiased. However, this is an impossible position because everyone sees the world through some type of lens. This affects everything from how one understands knowledge to why one justifies behavior, and it is magnfied in education, religion, and politics.
No one is without a worldview, which means that no one is unbiased. Bias is not always negative, but it is there. For example, a judge that treasures life will not be very lenient on a convicted murderer. Likewise, a NAZI will see no problem murdering Jews becuase his worldview rejoices in it. Bias is important to point out because many people believe that they are or can be unbiased. However, this is an impossible position because everyone sees the world through some type of lens. This affects everything from how one understands knowledge to why one justifies behavior, and it is magnfied in education, religion, and politics.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Theology & Apologetics: Understanding the Relationship
Van Til makes an excellent case for how Theology and
Apologetics are often divorced because theology is understood as faith while
apologetics is associated with reason.
He argues that this is problematic because it inevitably elevates reason
and makes it the highest mental standard, which is idolatry.
What should our approach then be?
Instead of divorcing theology and apologetics, both should come out of the text of Scripture. Furthermore, a correct understanding of the body of doctrine that comes out of Scripture, which gives us the fundamental framework of the Biblical worldview, is best defended when our defense, or apologetic, is framed by that doctrine.
It is true that the apologist, like the philosopher, geologist, etc. may not exhaustively use Biblical terms to communicate, but he should be operating from a Biblical worldview because it is the Biblical worldview alone that makes any field understandable. Reason does not make the different fields of life and study understandable because reason itself is dependent upon the Biblical Worldview as the only basis for intelligibility. A remarriage must occur.
As we intertwine apologetics and theology, we must use the most Biblical theology that best exegetes the text, which was best systematized by Calvin, Luther, and others during the Reformation. It is from these doctrines that we gain an acute insight into the nature of man and God. If we dismiss these doctrines, then our assumptions about man and God will be wrong, which will then negate what we are trying to defend or apologia. A Reformed understanding of God and man meets this challenge and propels us in the right direction apologetically.
Instead of divorcing theology and apologetics, both should come out of the text of Scripture. Furthermore, a correct understanding of the body of doctrine that comes out of Scripture, which gives us the fundamental framework of the Biblical worldview, is best defended when our defense, or apologetic, is framed by that doctrine.
It is true that the apologist, like the philosopher, geologist, etc. may not exhaustively use Biblical terms to communicate, but he should be operating from a Biblical worldview because it is the Biblical worldview alone that makes any field understandable. Reason does not make the different fields of life and study understandable because reason itself is dependent upon the Biblical Worldview as the only basis for intelligibility. A remarriage must occur.
As we intertwine apologetics and theology, we must use the most Biblical theology that best exegetes the text, which was best systematized by Calvin, Luther, and others during the Reformation. It is from these doctrines that we gain an acute insight into the nature of man and God. If we dismiss these doctrines, then our assumptions about man and God will be wrong, which will then negate what we are trying to defend or apologia. A Reformed understanding of God and man meets this challenge and propels us in the right direction apologetically.
Truly, man is dead in trespasses and sin. He is wicked
and hates God by his very nature; his reason is bound to suppress the truth in
unrighteousness. Therefore, if we elevate reason as the standard to judge
the Bible, then we have already lost the war before we have begun the first
battle. By his fallen reason, man will always judge God to be wrong,
which is why we must defend and proclaim the gospel as an entire worldview and
expose the emptiness of the sinner’s worldview. In this, the unbeliever is
called to repent and abandon his worldview because it is fruitless and
substantiates nothing.
We are calling sinful man to repent of what he already
knows is true; he is in rebellion and needs a Savior. The
unbeliever possesses generally revealed truth because Scripture tells
us that God is made evident in creation and that man suppresses this truth in
unrighteousness, so he is culpable and without excuse or without apologia
(which would be a direct translation). We are not convincing him of what he already knows but rather
confronting him with what he denies. God is commanding him to repent of
what he is suppressing. This moves the playing field from probability to
certainty. God is not a strong hypothetical probable; rather, He is the
absolutely suppressed certain. Exalting reason makes God probable at
best, but our theology informs us that God is certain as man is explained to be
suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. Man does not use his reason to
be a conscientious objector of the truth; rather, he uses his reason to
suppress the truth in unrighteousness.
Granting man reason without forcing him to substantiate said reason to begin with grants him what he wants: the authority to deny his responsibility to repent and submit to Him Who created him and Who demands his obedience and worship. We must not grant the unbeliever anything he cannot account for when starting from himself, which is nothing.
This is what Paul did in Acts. He commanded men to repent of their sin and suppressed knowledge of God, but he does not leave them hopeless. On the contrary, he then delivers further revelation of God in Christ. They knew they had rebelled against a Holy God as their consciences bore witness against them (Rom 2), yet they needed special revelation to know on Whom to Believe. Paul gave a proclamation of what men must do, and he did so from within and not from without of the Biblical worldview. He exposed what these men already knew they were suppressing concerning the God of Creation, and he then charged them to believe on Him Who is the only One Who can save them from their miserable fallen condition.
Paul did not try to convince sinners of the Biblical God by appealing to their reason. Instead, he used their ingrained knowledge of God that is suppressed to expose them and call them to repentance. This is very powerful, yet it is often overlooked because we have bought into the fallacious philosophy that man can establish truth apart from God. For this reason, we use various evidences to make a case for God and then try to let the unbeliever's reason be the judge. That is, God and His Word are put on the stand, and human reason is the judge, which is idolatry. Furthermore, man, in his bent against God (including his reason), will always attempt some vain rescuing device. Exposing his ability to account for anything, even his ability to argue anything, eliminates his rescuing devices and leaves him naked and ashamed. He will either repent or continue to mock God with ad hominem attacks (unsubstantiated character attacks like those used at the charade we call the trial of Christ) in spite of his exposed nakedness.
God has already revealed Himself, so man is on trial, and he must make his case, yet he cannot even argue with and against God without stealing from the very God that He hates, for only God Himself is the fountainhead of knowledge, logic, reason, ethics, etc. Apart from Him, one cannot even argue against Him. It is in this exposing of man's suppression of the truth in unrighteousness, which he already knows, that charges him to repent and believe on Christ for salvation. This is the gospel message by which the Holy Spirit works.
Apologetics is then not some vain attempt to convince the unbeliever to at least believe there is a God. On the contrary, it is an evangelistic proclamation and defense of the Biblical worldview against all other worldviews; it commands men to repent and put all their faith in Christ for eternal life. God is not presented as a hopeful possibility; on the contrary, the Biblical worldview is a train wreck that smashes into the idols of the unbeliever and crushes his puny excuses and pathetic rescuing devices in a vain attempt to reject a Holy Almighty God! Amen!
Granting man reason without forcing him to substantiate said reason to begin with grants him what he wants: the authority to deny his responsibility to repent and submit to Him Who created him and Who demands his obedience and worship. We must not grant the unbeliever anything he cannot account for when starting from himself, which is nothing.
This is what Paul did in Acts. He commanded men to repent of their sin and suppressed knowledge of God, but he does not leave them hopeless. On the contrary, he then delivers further revelation of God in Christ. They knew they had rebelled against a Holy God as their consciences bore witness against them (Rom 2), yet they needed special revelation to know on Whom to Believe. Paul gave a proclamation of what men must do, and he did so from within and not from without of the Biblical worldview. He exposed what these men already knew they were suppressing concerning the God of Creation, and he then charged them to believe on Him Who is the only One Who can save them from their miserable fallen condition.
Paul did not try to convince sinners of the Biblical God by appealing to their reason. Instead, he used their ingrained knowledge of God that is suppressed to expose them and call them to repentance. This is very powerful, yet it is often overlooked because we have bought into the fallacious philosophy that man can establish truth apart from God. For this reason, we use various evidences to make a case for God and then try to let the unbeliever's reason be the judge. That is, God and His Word are put on the stand, and human reason is the judge, which is idolatry. Furthermore, man, in his bent against God (including his reason), will always attempt some vain rescuing device. Exposing his ability to account for anything, even his ability to argue anything, eliminates his rescuing devices and leaves him naked and ashamed. He will either repent or continue to mock God with ad hominem attacks (unsubstantiated character attacks like those used at the charade we call the trial of Christ) in spite of his exposed nakedness.
God has already revealed Himself, so man is on trial, and he must make his case, yet he cannot even argue with and against God without stealing from the very God that He hates, for only God Himself is the fountainhead of knowledge, logic, reason, ethics, etc. Apart from Him, one cannot even argue against Him. It is in this exposing of man's suppression of the truth in unrighteousness, which he already knows, that charges him to repent and believe on Christ for salvation. This is the gospel message by which the Holy Spirit works.
Apologetics is then not some vain attempt to convince the unbeliever to at least believe there is a God. On the contrary, it is an evangelistic proclamation and defense of the Biblical worldview against all other worldviews; it commands men to repent and put all their faith in Christ for eternal life. God is not presented as a hopeful possibility; on the contrary, the Biblical worldview is a train wreck that smashes into the idols of the unbeliever and crushes his puny excuses and pathetic rescuing devices in a vain attempt to reject a Holy Almighty God! Amen!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Indoctrination
My wife and I viewed an incredible documentary exposing the sham that is government education. It is entitled Indoctrination, and nothing could nail it on the head more than that. The religion of atheist socialist statism is its doctrine, and its administrators and educators are the high priests, whether they realize it or not.
The director's use of sound research and comedic parody is insightful and impacting. I highly recommend this video to everyone to own and distribute, especially to those who desire to see their child raised n the fear and admonition of the LORD. We need to continue to implement a sound and quick exit strategy.
Government education cannot be recovered because it was never ours to begin with. Let us pray it finds itself in the ash heap of history.
The director's use of sound research and comedic parody is insightful and impacting. I highly recommend this video to everyone to own and distribute, especially to those who desire to see their child raised n the fear and admonition of the LORD. We need to continue to implement a sound and quick exit strategy.
Government education cannot be recovered because it was never ours to begin with. Let us pray it finds itself in the ash heap of history.
Monday, January 2, 2012
New Year Scripture Reading
With the beginning of the new calendar year, I especially encourage you to read the Scriptures regularly. Instead of simply reading through the Bible, meditate on the texts that you are reading throughout the day, and apply them to your life. Don't just read it and forget it.
Also, take time to memorize scripture, for this is actually one of the best ways to meditate upon God's Word. If you know it, you will be far more likely to apply it. Memorize a whole chapter or several verses in context. Not only does this prevent interpretation out of context, but it helps in gaining the full picture surrounding the punchline of a text.
To Him be the glory!
Also, take time to memorize scripture, for this is actually one of the best ways to meditate upon God's Word. If you know it, you will be far more likely to apply it. Memorize a whole chapter or several verses in context. Not only does this prevent interpretation out of context, but it helps in gaining the full picture surrounding the punchline of a text.
To Him be the glory!
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