Christianity and Morality

 

It's not enough to say that Christianity is the right religion because it gives expression to proper morality (human ethical behavior).  Many religions, to one degree or another, may do this.  Nor is it correct to say that among the religions which preach ethical behavior, that only Christianity provides a valid basis for it, and the power to express it.  This is true, but this is a dangerous misconception of our religious life.  

 

No, the central facts of the Christian Religion are that our ethics are not the issue.  Our lack of ethics is the issue.  Jesus Christ's sacrifice for our sins made once on the Cross forgives our lack of ethics -- every day.

 

Sola Scriptura

Recent events, such as occur from time to time in Reformed circles, have to do with some person of note leaving the Reformed fellowship for a church which does not hold to Sola Scriptura.  This always causes a lot of swirl and comment -- and hate.  But, I think that the blog discussions and articles in Reformed circles that mourn, complain about, or hate the persons who do this often display the theological weaknesses that let this kind of thing happen.

I think that the best approach to any serious religious question is to say, "Let's study the Scripture, and let's study History."  This approach is good for anyone, whether they're sure of Sola Scriptura or not.  And, we who claim to believe in Sola Scriptura ought to practice what we preach.  We should stop making Reformed "tradition," or doctrinal hobby-horses, or the pet teachings of favorite personalities the touchstone of Scripture interpretation.  We should study the Scripture, and let Scripture interpret Scripture.

We Reformed can be highly theological, highly confessional, highly technical, and, Yes! highly traditional, and prone not to always rethink our foundations in Scripture.  As a consequence we do not know our Bibles well.

But, only the Scripture is the Word of God.  Only the Scripture compels allegiance.  Only the Scripture teaches and convinces.  This Word should always be in our hearts and mouths, and we must meditate in it day and night.

The Scripture itself is capable of defending its integrity and its teaching in the minds and hearts of those who are sensitive to its teaching by the Spirit.

Atheism and Creation

A good understanding of the doctrine of Romans 1 and Acts 17 explains why the atheistic cry is so hot these days.  The stronger the evidence for creation, that is, for God, the stronger the atheistic backlash.  This is because the natural tendency of man is to reject the knowledge of the Creator.  The more that knowledge is forced upon him by scientific discoveries, the more he reacts against that knowledge of God which is conveyed to him by those discoveries.  Rather than seeing the hand of God in the infinite complexity of the universe (or DNA, or trees), he rebels and sees nothing, even to his own moral and logical destruction.  The illogicality of all this has been explained a million times.  But, this is not a logical problem.  The more the universe screams "God," the more the atheist screams "No."  It's just a given.

I heard a story that a famous atheist stepped into a famous church somewhere, and pontificated amusingly on his famous atheism by saying that he didn't just disbelieve in God; rather, he hated him!

So, now we have the "atheist argument for the existence of God" to add to our list of proofs!!  LOL*

Boyd Murrah, BA (Physics), Rice University, 1965.

* For those who are not up to speed on this acronym, it means "Lots Of Laughs"

Apologetics and the "Theology of the Cross"

It is interesting to consider how apologetics functions within the Theology of the Cross.

Typically, apologetics tries to answer questions like:  Does God exist?  What is the source of evil?  How can we tell that God is good?  How do we know that the Scripture is inspired?  How do we vindicate the teaching that Christ was raised from the dead?  Etc.

But, if God always works his good under the guise of tribulation and distress in the elect and among believers, this makes it difficult or impossible to explain him and justify his ways to doubters and nonbelievers.  He intentionally makes his own "theodicy" impossible.  He hides the manifestation of his good, so that only the eye of faith and mind of the Spirit reveal it to us. The "good" amid our tribulations is hidden invisibly behind the "evil" of the tribulation, as the world sees it.  Therefore, in their eyes, laying down our lives for this Faith is obviously foolish.

One thinks, too, of our Lord's parables, in which he often hid himself to the nonbelievers; or of Paul's admonition in 1 Cor that not many mighty or learned are given the knowledge of Christ.  People can only come to God by believing the foolishness of what's preached.

So, is apologetics a waste of time?

One can examine Paul's presentation on Mars Hill (Acts 17) for an example of both its appropriate use and its limitations.

Apologetics ought to be used to convict of sin, to point to the need for the gospel, and to help the believers and those whom the Lord is calling to himself.  But, it is an assistance to the gospel, not a substitute for it.