Since the semester is keeping me extremely busy at the moment, I have decided to post a discussion which first debuted on Facebook. I will use these from time to time, when I do not have a good chance to produce any original content.
Original post date: 22 Nov. 2010
This note is not at all deep or strikingly original (I would be remiss to ever claim either of those attributes), and yet I believe it still merits consideration. This is a topic I often struggle with myself, so much of what I put down here is from personal experience and observation. The thesis I wish to discuss can be summarized as follows: the New Testament is not over.
Bam. There you have it, all nice and concise. But there is much more to this discussion than one might think at first. How much more? Perhaps we will find out....
Hebrews 4:12 reads "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." It is clear from this passage that the author believes in the dynamic and powerful nature of the Bible (and God Himself) to shape and affect the character of people. There is no reason to think that this ability should have ever ceased existing.
Yet the majority of Christians today seem to behave as though the Holy Spirit has somehow been diminished to an ephemeral specter which simply exists to give people suggestions that are little more than mere emotion or whim. This view reduces the Holy Spirit down to a glorified conscience, and while I grant that the Spirit does at times act like or through a person's conscience, I believe that this is an extremely shallow and underdeveloped paradigm.
Why do people today think like this? There are several possible explanations. The first is simple ignorance. Christians who rely solely on church services for their theology likely have a naïve idea about what the Bible says about the Spirit. Everyone knows that Jesus fed 5,000 people and walked on water (Mark 6:30-56), that the Apostles spoke in tongues on Pentecost (Acts 2:4), and that Paul raised a guy from the dead (Acts 20:7-12). But to us, these men seem "special." I mean, they had some kind of special access to the Holy Spirit, right? Well, maybe. The Disciples were certainly able to experience Jesus' ministry in a different (i.e. physical) sense then what we see today. Yet the Bible seems to indicate that these men were not the end of awesome spiritual gifts. According to Joel 2:28-29, the Spirit of God can be made available to just about anyone: "Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days."(NIV) There are several passages in the Old Testament which talk about God pouring out the Spirit on His people (see Ezekiel 39:29, Isaiah 44:3, etc.). Paul tells Titus that God "saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior." (Titus 3:5-6, NIV) It would appear that this Holy Spirit is available to more people than just the Apostles.
Another possible contributor to this paradigm is the fact that people today do not think they see the Spirit at work around them. This line of thought annoys me to no end. The more time I spend getting to know God and reading His Word, the more I see how He is acting all around us in both subtle and dramatic ways. In one of his works, C.S. Lewis describes the miracles listed in the Bible as being just dramatic examples of the everyday "small" miracles He performs. Sure, Jesus fed five thousand people with a small amount of food, but there are millions of people every day that would starve without the small amount of food they receive. Christ healed people with all kinds of diseases, but He also provided us with bodies that can fix themselves from lots of different pains and illnesses. What if we took a step back from our dimly-lit corner of the world and truly appreciated the miraculous gifts with which God has inundated our lives? I can guarantee one thing: we would never again claim that the Spirit does not work actively in the world today. If you'd like a better appreciation for this, pray through some of the Psalms some time (for starters, maybe 19, 66, 67, 85, 104, 111, 128, and 147).
Now that we have established that the Holy Spirit is still working in the world today and that we have access to its power, what keeps us from utilizing this great gift? Perhaps it is fear of the unknown. Jesus tells us that "[t]he wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8, NIV) The life directed by the Spirit can be very unpredictable and at times even dangerous. Just look at all the stuff Paul went through in 2 Corinthians 11; that guy had it rough. Once again, however, we are forgetting the bigger picture. Jesus tells us to rejoice when we suffer (Matt. 5:10-12), and the disciples take his advice (Acts 5:41). You see, if we suffer now because of the Spirit, we only have greater things in store for us down the road. "That's why I don't think there's any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what's coming next." (Romans 8:18-19, MSG)
So if you've made it this far, by now you're surely wondering, "where could he possibly be going with this loquacious and didactic exposition?" Well, here it is: there is absolutely no reason for people like you and me to keep on reading the Bible like it's some dusty old history book. It is still very pertinent today. In fact, I would claim that the Bible taken on a very personal level is actually the story of my life, and your life, and all our lives. That's pretty cool! And what's more, it means that we can quit seeing our lives as somehow less important or influential than the people we read about in God's Word. We have access to the selfsame earthshaking Spirit, so let's use it.
Because the New Testament is not over.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Why?
Hello esteemed reader,
Since this is the first post on this blog, I thought it prudent to explore the reasons behind why I am starting it and why you should read it. I believe firmly that a person ought to have a reason for whatever they do. This is not to say that it has to always be an excellent or admirable reason, but I certainly think that whether it is conscious or not, everything we do has some reason behind it.
Therefore, when I set out to create this blog, I thought it only fitting that I explain my reasons for creating it. But that simply isn't quite good enough, because this blog only accomplishes its task if it has a readership. Therefore, I have also decided to give a few reasons why you might want to follow this blog. You are obviously free to read or ignore this blog for whatever reason you like, but perhaps this inaugural post will help both of us in the end. That is certainly my prayer.
But seriously... Why?
So why am I making such a big deal about this little question? We all know the classic six investigative questions used when examining a situation: Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? Yet these six questions are not all created equal. The first four are what I would consider "face-value" questions. The answers to these questions can usually be found simply by examining the basic facts of the situation. They usually require very little thought or deduction. The last two questions, on the other hand, are much more involved and, I would assert, normally much more important.
In fact, most of the investigative professions in this world are attempting to answer one of these two questions. Two of the more esteemed examples (perhaps not currently, but at least historically) are scientists and philosophers. Scientists spend the majority of their careers looking at the "How?" behind certain phenomena, while philosophers look at the universe through a lens that asks "Why?" Granted, both of these types of people are called on to ask the other type's question from time to time, but as a generalization, this analogy works pretty well.
With all this going for it, I certainly think that we should consider the motives behind anything we do. I think that everyone would be much better off for asking themselves "Why?" more often. And, as I have said, that is exactly the question I am attempting to answer in this first post.
So why faith?
Now for the main point of this post. Why am I going to the trouble to create an entire blog about my faith and about faith in general? There are many answers to this question, and I shall attempt to address a few of them here.
The first reason why I have started this blog is as a means for witnessing. I am a Christian, and I am unashamed of that title. And a faith as strong as one in Jesus Christ is one that should be passed on. I am compelled simply by the message I have received to send it on to others (Matt. 28:19-20). This is one way in which I hope to spread the earth-shattering message of Jesus.
The second reason is related to the first, but goes a little further. I wish to use this blog as a means of doing some apologetics. Peter tells us to always have a reason ready for what we believe (I Peter 3:15). I believe that since God created the world, there are a great many parts of His personality which have been programmed into His creation. Also, I am a firm believer that science does not contradict faith (at least true science does not), it merely affirms it. Science as a study has been corrupted by society into something it is not. The typical view of science in American culture is fraught with paradigms both philosophical and religious. I hope to be a small part of a movement to restore science and religion to their proper places. Part of this endeavor will be conducted through this blog.
The third reason is that I hope this will be a place of respectful conversation and constructive dialogue. If you are reading this and disagree with what I say, you are more than welcome to tell me so. If you want to know more, ask. If you want to contribute helpful information from your own experience, please do so. That being said, the last thing I want is to create another breeding ground for trolls. This world is wracked with people more than willing to spew whatever ill-formed opinions they have across the internet. I do not wish for anyone to be disrespected or personally hurt by anything put on this site.
What about you?
The final topic I wish to cover here is the reason why YOU should read this blog.
You should read this blog if you are a thinking, reasoning person who is open to the idea that there is more to this universe than humans know or understand. One of my favorite sayings is "The more I know, the more I know I don't know." There is no end to the amount of knowledge that can be gained in this universe, and therefore I (and you) must admit that I don't know everything. This is perhaps one of the most difficult things to do in modern society, but it is crucial to having a healthy image of yourself and others. Also, this blog is meant to be about faith, and thus far in my life the best definition I have come up with for the term faith is "admitting that you don't know everything." If you don't get it, think about it for a while.
You should read this blog if you wish to grow in your personal faith. I believe the modern church is full of too many people trying to get by with the least amount of sacrifice possible. This should not be! We should strive to give more of ourselves up every day. I hope that the discussion fostered on this blog can create an atmosphere which forces people to actively think about what they believe and where they stand on various issues. No matter what your faith background is (and even if you don't have one), you should still have a very good reason for believing what you believe.
You should read this blog if you love science, religion, or (hopefully) both. I am not a professional minister, nor do I pretend to have better ideas than anyone out there. But I do have ideas. In fact, I am still in college, training to become an engineer, so obviously I have a love for the sciences and especially mathematics. But that does not mean that I disregard my faith. Quite the contrary! One of the things I enjoy most in this world is seeing how religion and science complement one another. Hopefully, you do, too.
Finally, you should read this blog if you think I'm wrong about what I have to say. I very well might be! I am perfectly open to respectful, thoughtful, and constructive discussion about any topic. Please contribute whatever you want to this site, and if you wish to contact me personally, do not hesitate to. Faith only works in community (funnily enough, so does science), so the better the sense of community we have here on this blog, the better off we'll all be.
One more word, before I conclude this opening post. There are a few reasons NOT to read this blog. You should NOT read this blog if all you wish to do is start arguments and belittle others (see: Troll). You should NOT read this blog if you do not want to challenge yourself or your faith in any real way. You should NOT read this blog if you think you have everything figured out. In that case, you should start a blog of you own and let us all marvel at your greatness.
If none of these categories fits you, then I look forward to seeing how God uses this tool to grow His message and His glory in our lives. I truly believe that if we devote the discussion here to Him, He will accomplish awesome things for His glory. And to be honest, His glory is really the best reason to do anything.
Looking forward to seeing more of His Kingdom in action.
-Addison
Since this is the first post on this blog, I thought it prudent to explore the reasons behind why I am starting it and why you should read it. I believe firmly that a person ought to have a reason for whatever they do. This is not to say that it has to always be an excellent or admirable reason, but I certainly think that whether it is conscious or not, everything we do has some reason behind it.
Therefore, when I set out to create this blog, I thought it only fitting that I explain my reasons for creating it. But that simply isn't quite good enough, because this blog only accomplishes its task if it has a readership. Therefore, I have also decided to give a few reasons why you might want to follow this blog. You are obviously free to read or ignore this blog for whatever reason you like, but perhaps this inaugural post will help both of us in the end. That is certainly my prayer.
But seriously... Why?
So why am I making such a big deal about this little question? We all know the classic six investigative questions used when examining a situation: Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? Yet these six questions are not all created equal. The first four are what I would consider "face-value" questions. The answers to these questions can usually be found simply by examining the basic facts of the situation. They usually require very little thought or deduction. The last two questions, on the other hand, are much more involved and, I would assert, normally much more important.
In fact, most of the investigative professions in this world are attempting to answer one of these two questions. Two of the more esteemed examples (perhaps not currently, but at least historically) are scientists and philosophers. Scientists spend the majority of their careers looking at the "How?" behind certain phenomena, while philosophers look at the universe through a lens that asks "Why?" Granted, both of these types of people are called on to ask the other type's question from time to time, but as a generalization, this analogy works pretty well.
With all this going for it, I certainly think that we should consider the motives behind anything we do. I think that everyone would be much better off for asking themselves "Why?" more often. And, as I have said, that is exactly the question I am attempting to answer in this first post.
So why faith?
Now for the main point of this post. Why am I going to the trouble to create an entire blog about my faith and about faith in general? There are many answers to this question, and I shall attempt to address a few of them here.
The first reason why I have started this blog is as a means for witnessing. I am a Christian, and I am unashamed of that title. And a faith as strong as one in Jesus Christ is one that should be passed on. I am compelled simply by the message I have received to send it on to others (Matt. 28:19-20). This is one way in which I hope to spread the earth-shattering message of Jesus.
The second reason is related to the first, but goes a little further. I wish to use this blog as a means of doing some apologetics. Peter tells us to always have a reason ready for what we believe (I Peter 3:15). I believe that since God created the world, there are a great many parts of His personality which have been programmed into His creation. Also, I am a firm believer that science does not contradict faith (at least true science does not), it merely affirms it. Science as a study has been corrupted by society into something it is not. The typical view of science in American culture is fraught with paradigms both philosophical and religious. I hope to be a small part of a movement to restore science and religion to their proper places. Part of this endeavor will be conducted through this blog.
The third reason is that I hope this will be a place of respectful conversation and constructive dialogue. If you are reading this and disagree with what I say, you are more than welcome to tell me so. If you want to know more, ask. If you want to contribute helpful information from your own experience, please do so. That being said, the last thing I want is to create another breeding ground for trolls. This world is wracked with people more than willing to spew whatever ill-formed opinions they have across the internet. I do not wish for anyone to be disrespected or personally hurt by anything put on this site.
What about you?
The final topic I wish to cover here is the reason why YOU should read this blog.
You should read this blog if you are a thinking, reasoning person who is open to the idea that there is more to this universe than humans know or understand. One of my favorite sayings is "The more I know, the more I know I don't know." There is no end to the amount of knowledge that can be gained in this universe, and therefore I (and you) must admit that I don't know everything. This is perhaps one of the most difficult things to do in modern society, but it is crucial to having a healthy image of yourself and others. Also, this blog is meant to be about faith, and thus far in my life the best definition I have come up with for the term faith is "admitting that you don't know everything." If you don't get it, think about it for a while.
You should read this blog if you wish to grow in your personal faith. I believe the modern church is full of too many people trying to get by with the least amount of sacrifice possible. This should not be! We should strive to give more of ourselves up every day. I hope that the discussion fostered on this blog can create an atmosphere which forces people to actively think about what they believe and where they stand on various issues. No matter what your faith background is (and even if you don't have one), you should still have a very good reason for believing what you believe.
You should read this blog if you love science, religion, or (hopefully) both. I am not a professional minister, nor do I pretend to have better ideas than anyone out there. But I do have ideas. In fact, I am still in college, training to become an engineer, so obviously I have a love for the sciences and especially mathematics. But that does not mean that I disregard my faith. Quite the contrary! One of the things I enjoy most in this world is seeing how religion and science complement one another. Hopefully, you do, too.
Finally, you should read this blog if you think I'm wrong about what I have to say. I very well might be! I am perfectly open to respectful, thoughtful, and constructive discussion about any topic. Please contribute whatever you want to this site, and if you wish to contact me personally, do not hesitate to. Faith only works in community (funnily enough, so does science), so the better the sense of community we have here on this blog, the better off we'll all be.
One more word, before I conclude this opening post. There are a few reasons NOT to read this blog. You should NOT read this blog if all you wish to do is start arguments and belittle others (see: Troll). You should NOT read this blog if you do not want to challenge yourself or your faith in any real way. You should NOT read this blog if you think you have everything figured out. In that case, you should start a blog of you own and let us all marvel at your greatness.
If none of these categories fits you, then I look forward to seeing how God uses this tool to grow His message and His glory in our lives. I truly believe that if we devote the discussion here to Him, He will accomplish awesome things for His glory. And to be honest, His glory is really the best reason to do anything.
Looking forward to seeing more of His Kingdom in action.
-Addison
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)