The Full-Throated Symphony of Scripture

If the Scripture is anything, it is congruent. That is to say, the Word of God is in agreement, or in harmony, with itself. The Bible is unified, foremost, around the central story of the Messiah of God, Who is, of course, Jesus (Yeshua) of Nazareth. On the first Easter Sunday, two of our Lord’s disciples were privileged to walk the Emmaus road with the newly resurrected Saviour, Who, “beginning at Moses and all the prophets,…expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27).[1] Jesus went on to say, “These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:44-47).

All of Scripture points to Christ. As journalist Andrée Seu wrote, “Go to the Bible to meet Christ…He is its author, its subject matter, the doorway to its treasures, the full-throated symphony of which Adam and the prophets heard just the faintest tune.”[2]  Jesus urged, “Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39).

McCarty writes, “The story of the Bible begins in Genesis where God’s good creation is invaded by evil which separates God’s creature from God Himself. The rest of the Bible is related to the message of how God tries to bring about a reconciliation between His creature, man, and Himself. All of the other scenes in the Bible thicken the plot which was set out in the first chapter of Genesis. The separation which begins in the [third] chapter of Genesis becomes wider and narrower at certain points but never achieves the unity of God and man until the full reconciliation which came at the central point of the Bible in Jesus Christ,” who was the fullness of God incarnate.[3] “For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14).

McCarty continues, “The remainder of the Bible is made up of showing how the message of that reconciliation was bringing reconciliation to reality in the world. The conclusion of the Bible is an attempt to say that the future is in God’s hands and He will bring about final reconciliation in the end. The Bible does not deal with just plain history but uses the events of history to make a story which has a message and in turn that story is a life-bearing and life-giving message.”[4]

Jesus is that common thread of scarlet running throughout every book of the Holy Bible. And that information makes the Bible, which was composed by forty different men, who lived on three separate continents (Europe, Asia, and Africa), writing in three distinct languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek), spanning nearly 1,500 years of history (Moses writing near 1446 BC, John penning the Revelation around AD 90), a unique piece of literature in all the world. Again, it is McCarty who notes that, “It is very important to know the plot of the story and where the arrow of Scripture is headed. Without that the Bible cannot be correctly interpreted.”[5]

But the Jesus story is not the only congruent plot in the Scriptures. Israel, too, runs as a ribbon of blue throughout the Bible. From the calling of Abraham in Genesis 12, to the promise of Isaac, and a “Seed” which germinates in Jacob and materializes in the twelve tribes, to the birth of national Israel in the Exodus out of Egypt, Israel grows as God’s chosen people. Moses declares, “For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6). Another prophet warns, “For he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of His eye” (Zechariah 2:8).

God will see His plan for Israel through to completion. He has determined seventy weeks (of years) for the nation, enumerating the prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27. That coming, final seven years of God’s dealing with them will ultimately culminate in their belief of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach. “They shall look on Him whom they pierced,” writes John (John 19:37; cf. Zechariah 12:10). And like Thomas beholding Jesus in the upper room, Israel shall one day declare, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Jesus, quoting from Jeremiah 22:5 and Psalm 118:26, said it this way, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 23:37-39).

The significance of Israel to the unified theme of Christ in the Bible becomes clear when one considers that without a people to redeem, the act of the Redeemer is meaningless. Indeed, Israel is called the chosen people not because of who they are. They are told, “The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:” (Deuteronomy 7:7) Rather, they are significant because of Him Who called them, “But because the Lord loved you, and because He would keep the oath which He had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 7:8; cf. Deuteronomy 4:37).

Nonetheless, the Jews were chosen to accomplish no less than two highly important things. First, they were to be the people God would use to fulfill the Messianic promise initially given to the Serpent in Genesis 3:15. God would choose a Jewish woman to birth the Messiah (Isaiah 7:14; Galatians 4:4). This He accomplished in the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38). Obviously, then, Jesus was born a Jew. In addition to Israel bearing the living “Word” of God (John 1:1-4, 14), secondly, God used Israel to produce the written Word of God (2 Peter 1:20-21; cf. 2 Timothy 3:16).  “What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God” (Romans 3:1-2). The fact that national Israel rejected Jesus as Messiah is irrelevant to the faithfulness of God to keep His promises to Israel. “For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar” (Romans 3:3-4a). “For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Finally, the scarlet thread that is Jesus and the blue ribbon of Israel intertwine in a consilience of doctrinal themes. So that, the third convergence of unity is seen in the theological tapestry of Scripture. Without considering this point in any depth, it appears self-evident that the doctrine of sin is interconnected with Scriptural Anthropology, and one’s view on man is shaped by one’s view of God. But God cannot not be known in His Unity without also discussing God as Trinity. God, the Son, came to save man, but Soteriology (the doctrine of salvation) is integrally tied to, again, Hamartiology (the doctrine of sin). The authority for all of theology, however, must be the Bible. So, Bibliology seems foundational. But where do the studies of Pneumatology (the Holy Spirit), Angelology (angels), Ecclesiology (the church), Israelology (Israel), and Eschatology (end times events) fit in? The point being, that the diversity of fields of study within the broader discipline of theology is, in itself, an indication of its congruency. And more than any other approach (such as Historical or Biblical Theology) Systematic Theology demonstrates that Unity of Scripture well. Perhaps it would be considered the purple thread that blends the scarlet and blue.

In summary, the overarching themes of Christ, Israel, and Theology demonstrate Biblical unity. This shows that the Bible is no cacophony, but rather, a masterful symphony. Though written by forty varied composers, God is the Maestro who singlehandedly conducts His own magnum opus. Other reasons may abound, but it is primarily the congruency of Scripture, then, which demonstrates so harmoniously the inerrancy and infallibility of God’s Word, the Bible.

[1] All Scriptures are quoted from the Authorized (King James) Version of the Bible.

 [2] Andrée Seu, “Instruction Manual,” World Magazine vol. 15, no. 48 (Dec. 9, 2000).

 [3] Doran McCarty, Rightly Dividing the Word (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1973), 45.

 [4] Ibid., 45.

 [5] Ibid., 63-64.

Fifty Shades of Relativism

In our drab and degenerate, postmodern age of subjective “truth,” the once-vibrant colors of the painter’s palette of absolutes have run and blended into fifty shades of unappealing gray relativism. Ours is an incredulous generation—asking, as did Pilate of old, “What is truth?” (John 18:38).[1] Pilate’s skepticism came on the heels of Jesus’ claim that He came into this world in order to “bear witness unto the truth” (John 18:37). That conversation (some two millennia ago) and ours today are practically the same. As Henry observed, “The modern crisis of truth and word is not something historically or culturally unique.”[2] Nonetheless, several reasons for faith in the Bible may be offered to the culturally conceived and cynically birthed unbeliever of today.

First, the Bible itself claims to be authoritative truth. Psalm 119:160 states, “Thy Word is true from the beginning: And every one of Thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.” In the New Testament, Jesus asserted in prayer to God, “Sanctify them through Thy Truth: Thy Word is Truth” (John 17:17).  According to the Apostle Paul, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” (2 Tim. 3:16). These self-assertions may have been considered hollow boasts were it not for the fact that the claims of Scripture can be objectively tested.

“Psalm 19:7-9,” as MacArthur wrote, “is one of the clearest and most concise sections of Scripture detailing the sufficiency and authority of Scripture.”[3]  A careful biographical investigation of its claims (such as, the Word of God has power to convert the soul (v. 7), grant wisdom to the immature (v. 7), rejoice the heart of man (v. 8), bring enlightenment (v. 8), etc.) will show by testimony of hundreds of thousands of believers through the ages (and even in these modern skeptical times) the change that has taken place within the lives of men like slave-trader-turned-preacher, John Newton, who authored the hymn “Amazing Grace.” His testimony is that this total change was effected by the Word of God. Or as another example, famous but blind hymn-writer, Fanny Crosby, attested (in literally hundreds of hymns) the joy she experienced owing to God’s Word. In fact, there are myriads of autobiographical testimony to the reality of the Bible’s claims to change lives.  Unlike any other book, the Bible’s ability to transform is hard to dispute.

But in addition to claims of Scripture that are verifiable by human experiences, there remain the traditional and persuasive arguments for the Bible. In short, the Bible is culturally diverse yet congruent. It is accurate in history as well as prophecy. It is geographically precise, scientifically demonstrable, archaeologically verifiable, literarily superior, and perennially popular. For these reasons, and many others, the Bible is a Book to be believed.[4]

In this bleak world of relativistic gray, therefore, the Bible is a refreshing masterpiece of vibrancy—It’s bright rays of truth both illuminate and surprise us as the beauty of an early sunrise on a happy Spring day.

[1] All Scripture is taken from the Authorized (King James) Version of the Bible.

[2] Carl F. H. Henry, God, Revelation, and Authority, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1999), 21.

[3] John MacArthur, Right Thinking in a World Gone Wrong: A Biblical Response to Today’s Most Controversial Issues (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2009), 9.

[4] For another great approach to this topic, see Alex McFarland, The Ten Most Common Objections to Christianity (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 2007), 75-112.

The Glory of God

The Bible teaches many things, and alludes to many different people, historical accounts, and circumstances, and yet, one clear and central theme emanates from its pages from beginning to end. The Bible’s overarching purpose is the glory of God throughout all ages, as generally seen in all of God’s Creation, and specifically taught in the manifestation of God’s own Son, Jesus Christ. This is especially the case with the redemption story that Jesus brings for God’s glory through His own vicarious, sacrificial death on Calvary’s Cross for all who will believe.

This concept of glory through the Creation is seen in such verses as Revelation 4:11, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” Psalm 19:1 states, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament sheweth His handywork.”

But Romans 1:18-21 demonstrates the need for Jesus Christ to come into the world. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Because God did not receive the Glory due unto Him by man from the Creation, Jesus Christ had to come and die on the Cross to reconcile man unto God.

Thus Paul declares, “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, . . . Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” (Ephesians 3:14-15, 21). “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Philippians 4:19-20). “For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to Whom be glory for ever. Amen” (Romans 11:36).

The central purpose expressed in all of Scripture, then, is the ultimate glory of God through both His creative works and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Salt and Water: Examples of God's Finely-Tuned Universe

God created a finely tuned universe. Take, for example, God’s amazing invention called water. Water, as we know, is essential to all organic life forms in one way or another. We couldn’t live without it. But one of the unique traits about water is that it is denser in a liquid state than in a solid form. That is, the H2O molecules are more densely packed together (and thus “heavier”) as water (liquid), and more loosely packed together (and thus “lighter,” because there is more empty space between each molecule) when forming ice (a solid). This buoyancy is the reason that ice floats on water, which really is more than a way for us to enjoy iced tea. If water were like all of the other elements, lightest as a gas, denser as a liquid, and most dense in solid state, then ice would sink to the bottom. But God saw to it that water would defy the normal laws of chemistry and freeze from the top down. If you were a fish living in a pond through the winter freeze, this would become very important to you.

Almost as equally amazing as water is another common molecule called salt (NaCl). While its component parts are deadly in their purest form (sodium reacts explosively with water; and chlorine is a noxious gas), the naturally occurring salt mineral is a stable molecule, essential to life. In the Bible we find salt mentioned at least 25 times in the sense of a mineral. Salt was used as a flavoring, a preservative, a medicine, and in acts of religious worship, via sacrifice. Salt was also used culturally. It was both bartered and given as a form of payment (in the Roman army). The Romans applied salt to road beds in order to harden the dirt. Salt in the diet is also necessary to life. Today, salt has literally thousands of uses, from de-icing roads to softening water to bleaching wood pulp in the production of paper. Sodium chloride is another perfect example of God finely-tuning the universe for man’s use.

With a Great Sum Obtained I this Freedom

There was a time in the Apostle Paul’s life when he had been arrested by Roman soldiers out of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. He was tied up and made ready to scourge, “and as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned? When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman. Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born” (Acts 22:25-28, KJV).

Within the Roman Empire of the first century, citizenship was highly desirable. So much so that some, like that chief captain, through great effort, long endurance, and large sums of money, purchased freedom and secured for themselves naturalized citizenship. Others more fortunate, like Paul of Tarsus, happened to be born into privilege as a free citizen of the Roman Empire, and this through no effort of his own. But regardless of how their citizenship was acquired, one thing is sure: both men could celebrate their freedom and all that it meant to be Roman.

Similarly, the privilege of citizenship within the United States of America is highly desirable. So much so that tens of thousands of people are attempting to cross our sovereign borders, even now, in hopes of securing a place within our comfortable, abundantly blessed, and affluent lifestyle. No other nation on the face of the earth offers the protection, the pay, the privilege, the pardon, and the prestige of America!

America is built on the Christian ideals of both political and spiritual Freedom. The uncommon heroes of our nation’s founding said as much with their own words as the wrote and spoke in support of the Biblical concept of Liberty.

Case in point: in a report given by the Committee of Correspondence at a town meeting to the city of Boston, November 20, 1772, patriot Samuel Adams wrote,

‘Just and true liberty, equal and impartial liberty,’ in matters spiritual and temporal, is a thing that all men are clearly entitled to by the eternal and immutable laws of God and nature,... The right to freedom being the gift of God Almighty, it is not in the power of man to alienate this gift and voluntarily become a slave... These may be best understood by reading and carefully studying the institutes of the great Law Giver and Head of the Christian Church, which are to be found clearly written and promulgated in the New Testament.(https://history.hanover.edu/texts/adamss.html)

Should it surprise us that many of our Founding Fathers were devout Christians —saved men who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ for their personal and spiritual salvation?

The man known as “America’s First Patriot,” Patrick Henry, is noted for a speech that fanned the flames of independence in the heart of his friend, Thomas Jefferson. During an impassioned address to the Second Virginia Revolutionary Convention, meeting at St. John’s Church, in Richmond, Virginia, on March 23, 1775, Henry opined, “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” (https://www.redhill.org/primary-sources/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-death/)

To the Virginia Convention of 1788, Henry called “Liberty the greatest of all earthly blessings,” he went on to say, “give us that precious jewel, and you may take every thing else!” (https://www.redhill.org)

But was Patrick Henry, like Adams, a Christian?

If you visit Henry’s estate in Red Hill, Virginia, you will see his tombstone, as well as the tombstones of several family members. But on November 20, 1798, just seven months before his death in June of 1799, Patrick Henry wrote out his Last Will and Testament, in his own hand, bequeathing his earthly goods to his wife and children. He concluded with, “This is all the Inheritance I can give to my dear family, The religion of Christ can give them one which will make them rich indeed.” (https://www.redhill.org/patrick-henry/henrys-will/)

Three years earlier, August 20, 1796, Henry penned a letter to his daughter, wherein he wrote:

Amongst other strange things said of me, I hear it is said by the deists that I am one of their number; and indeed, that some good people think I am no Christian. This thought gives me much more pain than the appellation of Tory; because I think religion of infinitely higher importance than politics; and I find much cause to reproach myself that I have lived so long, and have given no decided and public proofs of my being a Christian. But, indeed, my dear child, this is a character which I prize far above all this world has, or can boast. (https://www. baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/first-person-the-faith-of-patrick-henry/)

There is no doubt that Samuel Adams, John Adams, Patrick Henry, George Washington, the first supreme court justice, John Jay, and many other of the great patriots that founded our country were good and Godly Christian men.

Listen to the following excerpt from a lengthy sermon, originally delivered by Dr. Richard Fredericks, of Damascus Road Community Church, but later read before the United States House of Representatives in 2001, and entered into the Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 14, pp. 20220-25.

John Jay, our first Supreme Court Justice, stated that when we select our national leaders, if we are to preserve our Nation, we must select Christians. “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian Nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.”

In fact, 11 of the 13 new State constitutions were also ratified in 1776. All required leaders to take an oath similar to this oath of Delaware: “Everyone appointed to public office must say, ‘I do profess faith in God the father and in the Lord Jesus Christ, his only son, and in the holy ghost; and in God who is blessed forevermore I do acknowledge the Holy Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, which are given by divine inspiration.’”

At the time of our Nation's bicentennial 1976, political science professors at the University of Houston began to ask some key questions: Why is it that the American Constitution has been able to stand the test of time? Why has it not gone through massive revisions? Why is it looked on as a model by dozens of nations? What wisdom possessed these men to produce such an incredible document? Who did they turn to for inspiration?

They spent 10 years cataloging 15,000 documents of the Founding Fathers. They found that the Founding Fathers most often quoted these three men. The most quoted was Baron Charles Montesquieu, who wrote in his Spirit of the Laws, 1748: “The Christian religion, which orders men to love one another, no doubt creates the best political laws and the best civil laws for each people. The morality of the gospel is the noblest gift ever bestowed by God on man. We shall see that we owe to Christianity benefits which human nature alone can never sufficiently acknowledge. The principles of Christianity, deeply engraved on the heart, would be infinitely more powerful than the false monarchies, the humane virtue of republics, or the servile fear of despotic states.”

The second most quoted was Sir William Blackstone, a devout British law professor who believed all laws must be proved from Scripture, and the third was John Locke, whose treatise on civil government quoted the Bible 102 times. Yet, most importantly, they found that the Bible itself was directly quoted four times more than Montesquieu, six times more than Blackstone, and 12 times more than John Locke. In fact, 34 percent of all of the quotes and the writings of the Founding Fathers were direct word- for-word quotes from the Bible. Further, another 60 percent of their quotes were quoting men who were quoting the Bible, so that an incredible 94 percent of all of the quotes in these 15,000 documents were direct quotes from or references to the Bible.

(https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CRECB-2001-pt14/html/CRECB-2001-pt14- Pg20220.htm, this quote is found on page 20222)

You won’t hear that history in the media today. Kids won’t read that in their school history books. University professors will keep spouting their godless humanism and spewing their global communism on state-protected campuses in a land where their stupidity is protected only because real patriots lived and died to secure their First Amendment Freedom of Speech. [NOTE: “Stupidity” is the right word to use; by definition, stupidity is behavior that shows a lack of good sense or judgment.]

Incredulously, it is the apparent goal of the leftist, woke, socialist, anti-Christ agenda to erase history and eradicate Jesus Christ; they would rather supplant reality with relativism than admit that they will one day stand to give account of themselves before their Supreme Maker and Judge of the Universe.

But, the Bible says, “Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!” (Isaiah 45:9, KJV). “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27, KJV); and, “Prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:12, KJV).

But return to the speech that was read before Congress in 2001—that sermon which is now permanently archived in the United States Congressional Record. Remember, it demonstrated that far from being tenuous, America’s common, Christ-centric upbringing cannot be denied.

That is to say, the roots of American Liberty drink deep from the nourishment of Holy Scripture. The trunk of the Liberty tree is planted securely in God’s Word. Bathed in the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ, the branches of American Freedom sway gently in the breezes of the Holy Spirit, ever spreading heavenward toward the Father’s eternal brightness. Consequently, America’s missionary fruit has fallen on every continent of the globe to the salvation of souls, the conversion of kings, and the glory of God.

And today, the 4th day of July, has been set aside to remember and to celebrate our God-given freedoms, to mark our Independence from England, and to remind us citizens, that America is a God-blessed nation from our birth, because the Founding Fathers sought the face of God during our conception.

On this date, 245 years ago, the Continental Congress introduced to the world the Declaration of Independence, which separated the American colonies from the British Empire. The document had been adopted two days earlier on July 2, but ratified by the Congress of state delegates on July 4th. Within one month’s time, fifty-six brave men hazarded their lives and fortunes when they affixed their signatures to that masterful Declaration. Most all had signed by August 2, 1776. (https://www.history.com/news/9-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-declaration-of-independence)

The Declaration of Independence begins:

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

(https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript)

It behooves us, then, as Americans, to love America, to live for America, and to not be ashamed of America. Our heritage is rich and our Liberty is worthwhile. Our Founders sought the face of God, and now, more than ever before, so should we.

Additionally, we must exercise our freedoms, enjoy our freedoms, pray for our freedoms, and fight to maintain our freedoms. We dare not take our freedoms for granted, else one day we may awaken to find that our American Liberty, alongside our God-given, unalienable Rights, have been altogether defaced, erased, and extirpated.

But most importantly, we must value our spiritual freedom in Christ Jesus (John 8:36), to the extent that we can not keep silent about the Gospel. As Believers in the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ, we have experienced freedom from the fear of death, freedom from the consequences of sin, and freedom from the power of guilt. Our salvation (O Happy Condition!) was purchased at a great price on the Cross, by the Lord Jesus Christ, on our behalf. Others need to know this great Truth. Others need to know Jesus Christ. And you are the one with the liberty to tell them (2 Corinthians 3:17).

WHAT IS TRUTH (Part 2)

Christian apologist Alex McFarland defines “truth” as that which corresponds to reality, which is to say that our beliefs must be founded upon facts. Facts keep the real world running. Consider the constancy of gravity, electromagnetism, nuclear forces, mathematics, the periodic chart of the elements, the law of the harvest, the biological certainties of reproduction (i.e. DNA), and many other things.

Yet, far from standing upon the bedrock of facts, modern man seems to be carried away in the fluidity of a post-modern river of relative thinking. Ever trying (but never able) to get his feet underneath him to stand against the rapid currents of subjectivism, man struggles to keep from drowning in the torrential flow of opinion. Or, as the Apostle Paul worded it, “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth“ (2 Timothy 3:7).

To simplify, the facts keep us in a world of physical normalcy. But the contrary thinking of our sin nature is to promote mankind’s own opinions, ideas, imaginations, dreams, speculations, whims, fancies, desires, and lusts (to name a few) above the constancy of the God Who is True (cf. Jeremiah 10:10).

All truth is indeed God’s truth because truth is founded upon the facts of God’s created universe. And the facts are that mankind is sinful. God is holy. Jesus, God’s Holy Son, died on the Cross. Jesus resurrected. God is willing and able to forgive all who will believe in Jesus. These are the spiritual facts. And these truths, any truth, and all truths will always and only correspond to the actual, not to the hopeful, regardless if the whole world holds to the contrary. Remember, truth is that which corresponds to reality.

What Is Truth? (Part 1)

The Roman Procurator Pontius Pilate (AD 26-36), while sitting as judge on the crucifixion case of Jesus Christ, lamented, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Pilate’s question, whether reflective or rhetorical, was given in response to Jesus’ own words of explanation in the preceding verse, “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.” Jesus further attests that, “Every one that is of the truth heareth [His] voice” (John 18:37), implying that those who follow Him (called His “sheep” in John 10:16 and 27), are indeed His. And being His, they are also of “the truth.”

More directly, Jesus labels Himself as “the Truth” (exclusively) in John 14:6. This demonstrates that Christianity is unique in that it teaches “truth” is more than just an idea, a concept, or some propositions set forth in words. God has most vividly expressed truth to the world in the personal embodiment of His Son in human flesh as Jesus Christ. The incarnation is a statement of deity—God becoming man in the form of Jesus.

Pilate’s question, then, would be better restated as “Who is truth?” The answer: Jesus is Truth. And Jesus is God (John 1:1, 14). Thus, truth is more than a concept, truth is a person. Truth is God and God is Truth.

Angels Are Everywhere

Angels are, seemingly, everywhere.  They are in movies, TV programs, songs, books, magazines, art, and even in people’s dreams/imaginations. But in addition to the popular culture, angels are found throughout the pages of the Bible. A search of the KJV1900 resource in Logos Bible Software (ver. 8.16), using the parameters {Label Supernatural Being WHERE Type ~ "Angel"}, returns 1,127 hits in 500 verses.[1] The results occur in no less than 37 of the 66 books of the Bible.[2] Nearly half of the total occurrences are found in these four books alone: Genesis (96 hits in 42 verses), Ezekiel (97 hits in 33 verses), Daniel (117 in 42 verses), and Revelation (272 hits in 110 verses).

Perhaps, this should not be surprising. “The innumerable hosts of angels” (2 Esd. 6:3, RSV; cf. Heb. 12:22), we are told, “desire to look into” (1 Pet. 1:12) certain things concerning our lives, viz. salvation (1 Pet. 1:10).[3] Paul said, “For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men” (1 Cor. 4:9; cf. 1 Tim. 5:21). If we are on stage[4] for angels to observe, then they must be curious creatures which have something to learn from us. Further, it is stated that man, who was created “a little lower than the angels” (Psa. 8:4-5; Heb. 2:6-7), shall, in a future day, “judge angels” (1 Cor. 6:3).

This all serves to illustrate that a close connection between the material and spiritual world does exist. The interests of man and that of angels (who also have ministries of service to us, cf. Heb. 1:14), is plaited together. It is no marvel, then, that numerous testimonies are given of people encountering angels.

Pick up almost any evangelical book on angels, and it will include stories about people who report coming into contact with spirit beings. A brief survey of some books by popular Christian authors reveals that these encounters fall into two broad categories.[5] There are those stories of people (supposed to be angels) who mysteriously show up at just the right time to save a life, and then furtively vanish. The other story line involves those who have a supposed angel appear to them, not in the appearance of flesh, but rather in some angelic form in order to deliver a message directly to them from God. Surprisingly, the ones to whom these “angels” appear do not tremble in fear but feel at peace. This should give us pause in light of the fact that when angelic messengers appeared in Scripture, their first words to their terrified recipients were, of necessity, “Fear not” (Dan. 10:12, 19; Mt. 1:20; Lk. 1:13, 30; 2:10; Mt. 28:5).

In these times of religiosity and renewed spiritualism, especially, one should be skeptical of the appearance of angels. The New Age movement is replete with appearances of spirits/angels who “guide” their adherents into some new “truth.” Many of these spirit guides claim to be angels of God, but in reality, are sycophants and minions of the Devil. They may appear truly “angelic,” but Paul warns: “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14). Pay heed to the message: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8).

The danger of exalting angels in our thinking is that it tends toward angelolatry. Despite Catholic encyclicals to the contrary, Colossians 2:18 instructs, “Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.” Lang observes, “Given the renewed interest in angels in recent years, it may be that some people are dangerously close to worshiping angels, or at least guilty of giving them more attention than they deserve. (Christian tradition is that we worship God alone, not human beings, not things, not even angels.) Colossians 2:18 quotes Paul warning the Christians at Colossae not to worship angels, so apparently this was a temptation [even] in the earliest days of Christianity.”[6]

Paul’s warning against angel-worship is no less significant in our day. The angels themselves would say to those who would bow before them, “See thou do it not…[rather] Worship God” (Rev. 19:10; 22:9).

With such a proliferation of angelic awareness, Christian, be wary of encountering angels. Angels may be everywhere, but we do not have to be numbered among those who see them in every cloud, nor meet them in person, in order to believe. The Bible tells us all that we need to know.

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[1] This type of search uses Logos Bible Software proprietary tagging and includes every referent to spirit beings, other than the Holy Spirit (i.e. angel, angels, four beasts, the men, he, him, etc.). The data base used at the time of this search is version: DB:SD-SUPERNATURAL-BEINGS
2019-12-03T22:16:41Z
SUPERNATURAL-BEINGS.lbssd. Accessed Sept. 25, 2020.

[2] In the Old Testament, angels are mentioned in 19 out of 39 books; the exceptions beings: Leviticus, Ruth, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, and Malachi.

In the New Testament, angels are mentioned in 18 out of 27 books; the exceptions being: Ephesians, Philippians, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, James, 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John.

[3] All Scriptures quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the Authorized (King James) Version of the Bible.

[4] The Greek word translated “spectacle” in 1 Cor. 4:9 is θέατρον (theatron) from which we get our word “theater.”

[5] Angels: God’s Secret Agents by Billy Graham; The Facts on Angels by John Ankerberg and John Weldon; Angels: A Historical and Prophetic Study by Bob Glaze; Angels: The Strange and Mysterious Truth by David Jeremiah; God, Satan and Angels by John MacArthur, Jr.; The Angel Answer Book, by Robert J. Morgan, etc.

[6] J. Stephen Lang, 1,001 Things You Always Wanted to Know about Angels, Demons, and the Afterlife (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2000), s.v. Angelolatry, entry 476. Logos.

The Beauty of God's Golden Ratio

Evolution has no answer for the transcendent laws of mathematics. Take, for example, the famous golden ratio, represented by the Greek letter Phi (𝜙). This ratio, commonly called the Fibonacci number, can be expressed as:

𝜙 = (1+√5)/2 = 1.61803398874989484820...

This number, occurring seemingly everywhere in God’s creation, has been known since very ancient times. Mathematicians love it for its simplicity, purity, and transcendent properties. Just as the number Pi (𝜋 = 3.141592653589793...) describes the relationship between the circumference and the diameter of a circle, 𝜙 represents a special relationship to the basic shapes and proportions of nature (seen in rectangles, pentagons, spirals, and so much more). This particular ratio appears in aesthetic architecture, in the proportions in the human body, in the arms of spiral galaxies and in the development of hurricane winds. It is seen in the spirals of seashells, in the seed patterns in the head of a sunflower, in the growth patterns of pinecones, pineapples, and cauliflower, and in even in the dimensions of seaworthy vessels, just to name a few examples.

Creationists love 𝜙 because of its common occurrence throughout the created world. It is reflected in the number of cones to rods in the intricacies of the human eye. It is found in the spiral of the cochlea within the ear structure of humans and many vertebrates. The proportions of the human hand and fingers, the distribution of the limbs on the torso, and even the facial features of man are all measured by 𝜙. The bodies of animals and insects alike exist in this golden ratio. It is also heard in the relationship of the musical scale and is pleasing to the ear. The ancient Greek, Pythagoras observed, “Everything is arranged according to number and mathematical shape.” This is the hand of God seen in creation—as though His signature, even found in the structure of DNA.

On the other hand, evolutionists despise such patterns in nature. The very thought flies in the face of chance and happenstance in the supposed evolution of man and the universe. What possible natural mechanism could explain the recurring use of the Fibonacci number? A cursory search on the web reveals such comments as, “It's the myth that just won't die.” and “Great. Now I'm picturing God as a bored programmer sitting in a cubicle copying and pasting lines of code into his Sim game.” [1]

No. Evolution does not like to acknowledge any evidence of a Creator. The golden ratio is another example of the marvelous universe created by our glorious God! “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament sheweth His handywork“ (Psalm 19:1).

[1] http://io9.com/5985588/15-uncanny-examples-of-the-golden-ratio-in-nature (accessed April 20, 2015).

How to Be a Failure

“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” – Judges 21:25

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            For 37 years (1961-1998), Jim McKay hosted ABC’s Wide World of Sports. “The thrill of victory...and the agony of defeat” became a national catchphrase. Everyone wants victory. Nobody wants defeat.

            Joshua is a book of victory. Under Joshua, Israel followed the Lord (Judges 2:7; Joshua 1:16-18). But when Joshua died, it seems that Israel buried God, too.

            Judges is a book of defeat. God said to the children of Israel: “but ye have not obeyed My voice” (2:2). While “How to Succeed” books are popular today, Judges—the only successful “How to Fail” book—was written by Israel long ago.

            If you want to fail at life then Forget God. Judges 2:10 says, “there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord.” Somewhere between crossing the Jordan River and possessing the Promised Land, they FORGOT to teach their children about God—they failed (Deut. 4:9; 6:4-25). We are failures if we lose our children!

            The second key to failure is: Forsake God. Judges 2:12, “And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers.” They had failed to win their children, who in turn failed to keep God first.

            The final step to failure is: Follow after false gods. First you “follow” (2:12) then you “serve” (2:13). The number of false gods the children of Israel served increased (Judges 2:13; cf. 10:6). Sin becomes progressively more grotesque in our lives every day we practice it.

            The opposite of failure is FAITH!  Israel had turned from God to idols, to serve them. Paul admonishes us Christians differently in 1 Thessalonians 1:9. We are to turn “to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” Paul identifies this as our “work of faith” (v. 3).

            The thrill of Faith or the agony of Failure is a choice we must make today!