GOODY FROM WOODY
A friend asked me recently, “Woody, what is the biggest threat, philosophically, to Christianity in our society?”
My answer was brief at the time of my conversation. So let me try to answer the question in a larger version.
Years ago I read from R. C. Sproul, that every culture has to have something that unites it, some kind of viewpoint that brings it together. He said if you study all the civilizations of history, you will see that each one had some dominant philosophical or religious idea that tied the people together. That unifying concept can be religious, or philosophical or even a mythology. But there has to be some idea that ties it together. Scholars, social scientists, missionaries, evangelists and pastors understand this. Ideas shape a culture, so they are of first importance.
As I look at our Western world and culture now, it is up for grabs. There is not one dominant philosophy or religion or theology that has a consensus. In the middle ages the Judeo-Christian faith dominated people’s understanding of the world. Now, as great numbers of people turn away from the Judeo-Christian understanding of man and the world, there have been all kinds of philosophical ideas fighting for dominance in our void-filled world. The battle is on! (David A. Noebel wrote a book on this problem: The Battle for Truth—I recommend it.)
Back to the main points. If there is one overreaching concept in our culture gaining momentum, it is secular humanism. Secularism means simply: This time, this world, is all there is. Humanism is simply the whole focus on man. God is totally out of the picture (practical atheism). There is no eternal dimension to secular humanism. They say this world is all there is, there is no heaven, no hell, no moral code (unless they make it up as they go along). Everything is here and now.
William S. Lind writing in the Marine Corps Gazette, December 1994, p 37, wrote, “In the United States of America, our traditional, Western, Judeo-Christian culture is collapsing. It is not collapsing because it failed. On the contrary it has given us the freest and most prosperous society in human history. Rather, it is collapsing because we are abandoning it. Starting in the mid-1960’s, we have thrown away the values, morals, and standards that define traditional Western culture. In part, this has been driven by cultural radicals, people who hate our Judeo-Christian culture. Dominant in the elite, especially in the universities, the media, and the entertainment industry, the cultural radicals have successfully pushed an agenda of moral relativism, militant secularism, and sexual and social liberation.”
Chuck Colson and Nancy Pearcey have part of the answer to this growing problem in their book, How Now Shall We Live? (p 329). They say, “Nowhere has the secular (humanist) worldview gained a firmer foothold than in our nation’s schools, and since the education of our children shapes that future, we must begin to take our redemptive message right into the classroom.”
St. Paul stated, “Where is the philosophy? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish?” (1 Cor 1:20, Holman Christian Standard)
Read on your own how Paul appeals to those of us that are not brilliant or exceptional but says, “God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached.” (1 Cor 1:21)
God Bless and Keep telling the Truth!!!
Woody
P.S. Parents of young people in High School: One great way to teach a Biblical Worldview to your kids is a two-week camp at Summit. (Go to: summitministries.org for more information.) Great environment and great preparation for life!
I’ve given a lot of thought lately to the subject of heaven. (A few weeks back I wrote on hell.) Heaven on your mind and in your heart changes and challenges a person. It has refocused me on that which is eternal. I’ve searched the scriptures about heaven and, oh my, my heart has been thrilled – like looking at your child just being born, or seeing your grandchild. It is beyond words, but let me try to put it on paper.
In the world of biblical counseling and discipleship we always deal with problems: lots of messes in life. Our joy and privilege is to point people to the Savior and the scriptures. We tell people to look for the Savior in the problem. When you find Him there, you’ll also find in Him the solution. They go together. To be with the Savior is to be in Heaven, both now and in eternity.
That was the premise of Augustine’s book The City of God, written 413 AD. Augustine compared the city of the world with the city of God. What great nuggets of truth taken right out of the Bible. Augustine’s challenge to his generation was to choose which city they would live in. Life in Christ—Heaven on earth and in eternity, or life in this world (and in the end, hell) are the only two choices that are given.
We all grow weary and tired with the physical, emotional, financial problems of this life. When I think of these things I am reminded of a story from 1952. A young woman, Florence Chadwick, stepped into the water of the Pacific Ocean off Catalina Island, determined to swim to the shore of mainland California. She’d already been the first woman to swim the English Channel both ways. The weather was foggy and chilly; she could hardly see the boats accompanying her. Still, she swam for fifteen hours. When she begged to be taken out of the water along the way, her mother, in a boat along side, told her she was close and that she could make it. Finally, physically and emotionally exhausted, she stopped swimming and was pulled out. It wasn’t until she was on the boat that she discovered that she was less than half a mile away. At a news conference the next day she said, “All I could see was the fog…I think if I could have seen the shore, I could have made it.”
“If I could have seen the shore I could have made it.” How do we do that if Heaven is our goal? The author of Hebrews tells us how. (Heb 12:1-2 NASB) “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Did you see that shore? “Fixing our eyes on Jesus.” The answer is so clear. We daily choose to read God’s word, pray all the time, fellowship with our loving God, enjoy intimate moments with our Savior, and worship—not just once a week at church, but daily as we journey through this city (the world) to the city of God (Heaven).
To use Brother Lawrence’s expression, “We practice the presence of Jesus in all that we do, all that we think, all that we attempt.”
I know the enemy loves to distract us from real joy and peace. It is a mental and spiritual battle. Don’t lose heart; I have seen the shore today. Have you?
God Bless,
Woody
P.S. John Owen, the Puritan Pastor, said “What you think about Heaven is a test of character; pursuing only the things of this world means we failed the test.”
John 14:2 "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.”
John 13:36 “Simon Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, where are You going?’ Jesus answered, ‘Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.’”
Hebrews 11:16 “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”
Hebrews 13:14 “For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.”
Rev. 21:1-3 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them.”
Psalm 27:4 “One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to meditate in His temple.”
Rev. 22:4 “‘They will see His face’—the greatest blessing in the heavenly city.”
—Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology
Questions to Ponder:
· Is there a longing in your life for heaven (literally according to Rev. 21-22, a new heaven and a new earth)?
· What practical good would be produced in you if you spent more time thinking about Heaven?
Here we go again! Driving around our city of Indianapolis you’ll observe a number of billboards. They tell us:
“You don’t need God – to hope, to care, to love, to live.”
Nearly every major city in the USA has seen the godless messages. The messages are rooted in atheism, agnosticism, humanism, skepticism, and free thought organizations.
They tell us you can be “Good without God”, “Be good for goodness sakes” and “Don’t believe in God? You’re not alone.”
The Center for Inquiry is behind our billboards in Indy, D.C. and Houston. Ronald Lindsey, organization president said, “We are not trying to convert anyone by this campaign, if conversion implies persuading people there is no God. We are trying to prompt people to consider and converse about some of the myths surrounding the nonreligious, in particular the myth that life without God means a joyless, meaningless, selfish, self-centered life.” (A kind of friendly or gentle atheism.)
And just for the record, no doubt you missed the Humanist (atheistic) Conference April 7-11 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. So you didn’t hear Richard Dawkins, Steve Wozniak or Rebecca Goldstein—I know you are sorry you missed that opportunity!!!
So how do you respond to an atheist? The natural response would be to tell your friend, co-worker or whomever, “Let me tell you about the evidence for God, the origin of the universe, miracle of life, design, matter, energy, space and time and the supernatural.” You know whole libraries are full of these arguments for the existence of God.
Before you talk to an atheist why not prepare yourself to ask questions. (I got this idea from Jesus in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.)
Tell the person to start the Q & A that you know they do not believe in God because they have examined some of the evidence available to them. The problem they have is their worldview! They believe the only thing that is true is the physical or material world.
So ask questions from the physical world. You might want to tell him that two people strongly convinced of their position of absoluteness can still have a civil conversation.
First question: 1. “How many needles or spines on all the porcupines in Asia? I believe we can safely assume you do not know the answer.” The second question is: 2. “What is the weight of all the sand on Marco Island, Florida? Probably you don’t know that answer either. It seems reasonable that there may be some things that you do not know.”
We can agree some people pretend they know everything. So now the field is level—no one knows 100% of all the knowledge that is available. The only one whom I believe is all knowing is God (omniscient), but you don’t believe that.
Thomas Edison, one of the great scientists of the past, said, “We do not know a millionth of one percent about anything”. Let’s pretend your friend the atheist knows one percent knowledge of all the knowledge in the universe. But that would still mean that 99% of the knowledge you still do not know. And in that 99% of knowledge you might find ample evidence to prove the existence of God. If you are not supercilious (haughty, contemptible) you would have to admit there could be evidence for God.
To look at this from another angle, let me make an absolute statement, such as, “There is no silver in Kentucky.” What is needed to prove this statement? I need absolute information that there is no silver in Kentucky—under any rock or mountain, stream or river. If we find one nugget under any tree my statement would be false. On the other hand, for one to say, “There is no silver in Kentucky,” I didn’t need all knowledge. I just need one nugget of silver that I find there.
To say “there is no God,” is to make an absolute statement. I need evidence to prove my statement. So my research will require me to study my world, my universe, before I can conclude “there is no God.”
Only a person who has absolute knowledge can make an absolute claim.
For those interested I would recommend places to read. Ray Comfort’s little book God Doesn’t Believe in Atheists (www.livingwaters.com) and the other is Cornelius Van Til’s paper Why I Believe in God (www.reformed.org/apologetics).
Lastly, when talking to any non-Christian please remember you are an evangelist, an ambassador for Christ. Love and charity and kindness really matter. And if you don’t know your Bible well enough to contradict the physical arguments let me recommend you read:
1. Bible ( not a paraphrase)—read and study!
2. Only One Way – Richard Phillips
3. Scaling the Secular City – JP Moreland
4. When Skeptics Ask – Norman Geisler and Ronald Brooks
5. I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be An Atheist – Norman Geisler
6. Unshakable Foundation – Norman Geisler and Peter Bocchino (my favorite)
My absolutely last word for today: the word “fool” in the Bible does not mean some person that is not gifted intellectually. It has the meaning that they have used their intellect wrongly (which makes it a moral problem.) In the Bible the word “fool” primarily is the person who casts off the fear of God and thinks and acts as if he could safely disregard the eternal principles of God’s righteousness.
Psalms 14:1 “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good.”
1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”
God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—our Triune God Bless You,
Woody
Is hell disappearing? Back in 2008, Dr. Alan Segal, Professor at Barnard College said, “Absolutely!” In his book, Life After Death: A History of the Afterlife in Western Religion, the details speak for themselves.
In 2001, 71% of Americans said they believed in hell. In 2008, according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, that percent was down to 59%.
According to Charles Honey (in the Pew Report), “Americans are redefining the doctrine of hell before our eyes.”
In August of 2008, Pope John Paul II said in a weekly Papal address that heaven and hell were not really physical places, denying 2000 years of biblical and church teaching. (Matt 10:28; Luke 12:5; Mark 9:43-28)
What do you do with all the Bible’s teachings about hell being a place of unspeakable anguish, a place where the fire never goes out, or a place of punishment and torment?
Charles Honey in a Religious News Service article entitled, Belief in Hell Dips, But Some Say They’ve Already Been There, said, “Skepticism about hell is growing even in evangelical churches and seminaries, says one theologian here, a bastion of conservative evangelicalism.”
“In a pluralistic, post-modern world, students are having a more difficult time with (the idea of) people going to hell forever because they didn’t believe the right thing,” says Miles Wittmer, professor of systematic theology at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary.
“That’s the biggest question out there right now: Would God send someone to hell if they were someone as good as me, but didn’t believe what I believe?”
Do you see what is happening in evangelical circles? People are reasoning from their experience (I don’t think, believe, feel), rather than from the Bible. Their reason runs opposite of what the Bible teaches. They say, “how could a ‘good’ God send a person to hell forever?”
Our culture has moved and the shift has been significant. The culture is experience-oriented more than truth or Bible-oriented. It has adopted a natural, not supernatural view, even of God. It is a culture of non-judgmentalism and they hold a view of life that is self-focused and therapeutic, man-centered, not God-centered.
Professor Segal said, “They believe everyone has an equal chance, at this life and the next.” Thus, “hell is disappearing, absolutely.”
If you were to ask what happens to people when they die, here are several popular theories and representatives of those who believe them. The popular theories that deny hell are:
· Annihilation. They say you live and then you are destroyed. No hell for you. (John Stott and Edward Fudge)
· Reincarnation. This denies the existence of hell by confining individuals to earth during consecutive lifetimes in a process that ends in a nirvana or heavenly bliss. (Hindus, Buddhists and some Muslims)
· Purgatory. Advocated primarily by the Roman Catholic Church. They believe purgatory is where you go but it is not punitive or retributive, but rather for cleansing. No biblical support can be found for this. (Pope Benedict XVI)
· Universalism. Liberal teachers or preachers teach that there is a heaven and a hell, but God would not let anyone go to hell because of His love. (John Hicks and Pastor Rob Bell)
· Humanism. As a group they tend not to deal with any theological or eschatological question. They tend to believe that hell is inconsistent with what they perceive to believe about Christ. (Roy Wood Sellars)
· Life After death is unlikely. (Bertrand Russell)
· Post-modern Evangelism. Unbelievers get a second chance after death. (Clark Pinnock)
· Orthodoxy. What the Bible actually teaches. (Turtillian, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Spurgeon, and some but not all pastors and teachers of today.
For millions of people who are identified as post-modern, “truth” is not an absolute, it is not even divine revelation as the Bible teaches—it is a matter of personal choice. “Truth is what I chose to believe,” they tell us. And they choose not to believe in hell.
Everyone wants the modern “God”—the “God of love.” But they want to neglect His other attributes like justice, righteousness, truthfulness and holiness. That leaves us picking and choosing God’s attributes. Or, to put it another way, we want God on our terms not His.
There are only two kinds of people in the end! There are those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in hell chose it. (Norman Geisler, Unshakable Foundations).
God Bless,
Woody
