I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist Part #3: How Could a Good God Exist Since There is Evil in the World?

This is one of the most haunting questions we face. Why is there evil in the world if God exists? Why isn't He doing something about it? Some explain it like this, “If God is willing to prevent evil and injustice in the world, but is unable; then He must not be powerful enough to deal with it. If He is powerful enough to stop it, then He Himself must be not be willing. Since He is neither unable nor willing to do anything about it; then why call Him God?”  It is because of this reason that some question God’s existence.

When answering this dilemma it must be noted that the Bible does affirm the existence of evil (Psa. 40:12; Jer. 15:18). In fact even God’s own Son, Jesus was known as “a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering” (Isa. 53:3).

Believe it or not, the existence of evil actually proves that God exists. It doesn't matter where you go in this world, unless someone is insane, they will all agree that child molestation is wrong, even if they have done it. All will agree that murder is wrong, even if they have done it. And all agree that rape is wrong, even if they have done it. This inward acknowledgement of evil would not be present if mankind was just the byproduct of evolution through natural selection and survival of the fittest. If that was the case then Hitler was justified in what he did. However, anyone who is sane will recognize that that is just not the case. This recognition of evil is known as the Moral Argument and is proof of God’s existence in every culture.

So why does God allow evil to exist? It is because of mankind’s own freewill choice. God created the universe to be very good (Gen. 1:31). And God warned Adam and Eve what would happen if they chose to sin, yet they did it anyways (Gen. 2:17). When they sinned, corruption, disease, evil of all kinds and death came into the world. Therefore, we all suffer because of someone else’s choice. And this same principle can be seen today when a person decides to drink and drive and they take innocent lives. Furthermore, there are numerous other ways which our world suffers as a result of someone’s freewill choice.

Thankfully though, our good God has done something about the evil which is experienced in this world. He sent His Son to die for us that whoever receives Him, as Scripture teaches, will have eternal life. And Jesus promises that when He returns all the things which caused us grief in this life will be no more. God will wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things will have passed away (Rev. 21:1-7). It is my prayer that all of us look at the evil which exists in our world today and look forward to that day when all things will be made new (Rev. 21:5).

In His service,

            Matt 

I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist Part #2: Flawed Documents or God’s Word

When most atheists look at the Bible they think that they are looking at a book which is filled with errors. At the outset it is easy to understand how one might come to the conclusion that it is just a compilation of flawed documents. I mean come on; the original New Testament (NT) writings did not survive the past 2,000 years. The NT (originally written in Greek) was just hand copied over and over again down through the centuries. Have you ever played the game telephone? If you have, you know that what the message started out as was not what it ended up as. Thus, how could NT today be even close to what it was some 2,000 years ago? This resulted in over 5,400 early copies of the Greek NT manuscripts which we have today. Let’s examine the evidence of those 5,400 copies. 

The results from comparing these 5,400 copies reveal that they are “98% identical!”ⁱ The majority of these differences have no significance: like spelling mistakes, slight word order differences or the like. That brings the accuracy to an astounding 99.5%! No other writing from history has that many manuscripts (the closest is Homer's Iliad with 643 manuscripts) with that high of accuracy. Furthermore, contained within these minute differences, one finds not a single theological change in the NT. “Simply put, if we reject the authenticity of the New Testament on textual grounds we'd have to reject every ancient work of antiquity and declare null and void every piece of historical information from written sources prior to the beginning of the second millennium A.D.” ⁱⁱ

So what difference does all of this make? It means that the Bible is trustworthy. It is God’s Word period! It is a book which is not based on fairy tales but rather historical facts. It is a Declaration of Independence. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1).

Christ has freed us from the punishment which sin requires (Rom. 6:23). We are free of guilt and shame (Rom. 8:1). We are free to come to the Father with our requests (Heb. 4:16). We are God’s children and coheirs with Christ (Gal. 4:6; Rom. 8:15). We are free to love others (Gal. 5:13). It is on account of our freedom in Christ that our lives produce the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). And Christ has freed us as Christians to be able to truly live (John 10:10).

We are free to think. Atheism is a blind faith. It is believing something which has no rational or historical evidence supporting it. While on the other hand, the historical evidence supporting the NT is rock solid. Therefore, this month as we celebrate the freedoms which we have in this country, we as Christians can also celebrate the freedoms which we have in Christ. “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).

In His service,

      Matt

ⁱ Daniel Wallace, "The Majority Text and the Original Text: Are They Identical?" Bibliotheca Sacra, April-June, 1991, 157-8.

       ⁱⁱ Stand to Reason, “Is the New Testament Text Reliable?” by Greg Koukl; available from http://www.str.org/articles/is-the-new-testament-text-reliable#ANCHOR19; Internet; accessed 3 June 2013. 

I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist Part #1: Who’s Your Daddy?

Throughout our society there is a commonly held belief that mankind evolved from apes and that apes came from something else and so on all the way back to a single cell organism and then to nonliving chemicals. However, science itself proves that that is impossible! The scientific law of bio-genesis states that without exception life always comes from life! Furthermore, scientific observation proves that all living organisms reproduce other organisms after their own kind. Hum, that is exactly what the Bible teaches.  

Just consider the evidence for yourself. Have you ever seen in real life a cat with a snail’s shell or an elephant with wings? How about finding apples growing on corn stalks or carrots hanging from trees? Or what about giraffes swinging from trees with monkeys’ tails? Or turtles with antlers? Of course you haven’t seen these things, no one has. That is simply because life is about who your daddy (and mommy) is.  

In spite of what the scientific law of bio-genesis proves, atheists refuse to believe it. That is called blind faith. It means believing something which has no evidence supporting it. It is this quantity of faith which is far beyond the level of faith required to believe what the Bible teaches. And as we will see over the next several months, creation and science point to the rationality of the Bible and confirms its teaching. Thus, the basis of Biblical faith just makes sense! 

Therefore, this month as we celebrate Father’s Day we honor our human daddy because of the life which has been passed on to us. We honor him for the instructions, love, corrects, provisions, companionship and the millions of other things he has passed on to us.

I recognize that for many of us Father’s Day may be a very difficult time because our earthly father wasn't the man whom we needed him to be. Thankfully though, there is a Father whom every one of us can rely upon (2 Cor. 6:18). God the Father is our Creator; He is ultimately responsible for giving us life (1 Cor. 8:6).  He loves us (Psalm 103:13). He provides for our needs (Acts 17:24-28; Phil. 4:19). He gives us our needed correction because He loves us (Heb. 12:5-6). And He is a closer Friend and Companion than we could ever ask for (Deut. 31:6).  It is because of who our Father is that we can all celebrate Father’s Day regardless of how good of an earthly father we have. And it is because of this that we can even wish our human dads, “Happy Father’s Day!”

In His service,

      Matt 

Matt’s Matters: Happy Mother’s Day…Lucy?!

Here in America, we take time to honor those who have sacrificed for us, those who have dedicated their lives for others, and those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. While you may think that I am speaking of those marvelous military heroes who we honor on Memorial Day, but I’m thinking of someone else. Someone who has made a personal impact on your life, and mine – mom.

Each year we take time to honor our mother with kind words, cards, flowers and a day off from cooking (well at least that is what mom hopes for). But where did our mother come from?  Some believe that our ancient mother is Lucy, the skeletal remains of an ape which was found to have some bone structures resembling our human shape.

When one examines Lucy’s remains with this impression, they emphasize her sloping forehead, over-sized jaw and anything else that might appear to be similar to mankind. Then from this examination, they determine that we evolved from apes. However, this examiner overlooked several other features of Lucy. The foremost being Lucy’s hip structure which cannot support walking upright and how her foot bones are curved like an ape’s, not a human’s. Thus, when one sees Lucy illustrated as standing like a human, they are looking at a blatant misrepresentation.

What’s more, the theory that one species can evolve into another has never been proven. In fact even Charles Darwin himself recognized this fact. He wrote in his book, My Life and Letters, vol. 1, page 210, "Not one change of species into another is on record. We cannot prove that a single species has been changed (into another)."

While the link that mankind evolved from an ape, is well…missing, the link that each of us have been wonderfully and fearfully made by God in our mother’s womb is overwhelming (Psalm 139:13-14). Not only are you precious in your mother’s sight, but you are precious in His sight as well (Isa. 43:4). God formed you and knew you by name when you were in your mother’s womb (Jer. 1:5).

Mothers have one of the hardest tasks in the world to do. They learn to wear all sorts of hats from being the nurse, chauffeur, cook, tutor, counselor, and a trusted friend. And this is only a partial listing of the roles which moms have.

Therefore, as we enter the month of May, may we recognize the truth of who our mother is not…an ape named Lucy; while at the same time, may we recognize the special gift which God has blessed us with in our real mothers. May God’s riches blessings be upon all of you, mothers!

In His service,

      Matt 

Matt’s Matters: April Fools or Factual Faith

On Easter Sunday, March 31, 2013 Christians around the world celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. On the next day a lot of people wanted to say, “April fools.” However, is that the way the evidence points?

First, consider the empty tomb. All four Gospels record this to be the case. So what happened to Jesus’ body? The earliest non-Christian response is that His body was stolen by the disciples while the guards were sleep1ing. Question: how did the guards know that it was Jesus’ disciples who took His body if they were asleep? Both Roman and Jewish law would have required that the guards be put to death for sleeping on duty. So why weren’t they punished? Furthermore, why did the extremely wealthy and powerful chief priests not conduct a manhunt for Jesus’ body? They had all the necessary resources to do this. If the body would have been found, Christianity would be over. But why did they not attempt to do this? Could it be that they themselves knew that Jesus did in fact rise from the dead?

Second, consider the eye witness accounts. 1 Corinthians 15:6 states that Jesus appeared to more than 500 people at one time after that first Easter Sunday. Medical professionals tell us that it is impossible for that many people to hallucinate the exact same account at the same time. Furthermore, hallucinations do not happen over an extended period of time and Jesus appeared to various individuals over a 40 day period of time. Some believe that the eye witnesses were merely seeing the ghost of Jesus. However, the eye witnesses were able to not only see Him but also touch Him. And Jesus shared meals with these witnesses. Others say that Jesus survived the crucifixion and then in the coolness of the tomb was able to recover. This argument has some serious issues which one must consider. Even if Jesus did not die from the crucifixion, the spear thrust from the Roman soldier in His side hit His heart, ensuring His death. Could it be that these eye witnesses did in fact see the risen Jesus Christ as all the evidence points to? 

Third, consider the transformed lives. Some of the individuals whom Jesus appeared to were adamantly opposed to Christianity. Jesus’ brother had rejected Him prior to seeing the resurrected Jesus. Yet after this encounter James became the leader of the church in Jerusalem. Or who can forget the Apostle Paul. Paul persecuted Christians, having some put in prison and others executed. Yet after seeing the risen Jesus, Paul became one of the most influential missionaries in history. How does one explain these life transformations if Jesus did not in fact rise from the dead?

These three pieces of evidence are only a minute portion of the evidence available concerning the reality of the resurrection. However, by themselves they establish an overwhelming case for the validity of factual faith. Therefore, I encourage and invite you to examine the evidence concerning the Truth of Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday.

In His service,

Matt

How to Understand the Bible 101: Lesson 4b: The Three Great Ages—The Full Pathway Towards Biblical Salvation

When you die do you know where you will spend eternity? This is the most important question every person must answer. The Bible is very clear, we will all stand before the Lord and give an account for our lives (Rom. 14:12). Therefore, it does matter how we live. On the one hand, it is impossible for anyone of us to save ourselves (Matt. 19:25-26). There is no such thing as a “good” person (Rom. 3:10-23; 6:23). But on the other hand, it is by grace through faith that salvation is made possible (Eph. 2:8-9). But what steps are necessary to be saved through faith?

Some believe that all people will be saved, so there are no steps necessary to become saved. Others believe that they must somehow earn their salvation. Many believe that all one must do is say a sinner’s prayer. Some add to that trusting in Jesus in order to be saved, and others add things like baptism as well. So what is the Biblical plan of salvation through faith, when ALL of Scripture is examined?

First, by faith: a person must believe in Jesus, that He died, rose from the grave, and that He takes a person’s sins away (John 3:16; 11:25-26; Col. 1:23). The belief talked about in John 3:16 means a present active trust in Christ for salvation. It is NOT a past tense, one-time event. In other words, this type of belief must remain in the person until death if it is to be effective. 

Second, by faith: a person must repent of their sins (Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 5:31; 17:30; 26:20; 2 Peter 3:9). Repentance is a change of mind about sin which will result in a change of lifestyle (Matt. 3:9; Acts 26:20).

Third, by faith: a person must confess Jesus as Lord. Peter models this type of confession in Matthew 16:16, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Through this confession, the new believer has just declared that all that they do must first be cleared through Jesus; He is their Master (Matt. 10:32-33; Rom. 10:9-10; 1 John 4:2-3, 15).

And fourth, by faith: a person must be baptized (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16; John 3:3-5; Acts 2:38; Gal. 3:27; 1 Peter 3:21). In Acts 2:38, Peter plainly teaches that baptism is essential for salvation:  “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

The Greek word for baptism (baptizo) always means to immerse. This is the picture of being buried with Christ (Rom. 6:3-6; Col. 2:12). Immersion is a passive event. It is not a work for the person being immersed. Likewise Saul (the Apostle Paul) was told how to be saved which included being immersed. 'Now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on His name” (Acts 22:16). Furthermore, the New Testament church modeled this pattern (see Acts 8:12, 36-38 9:18; 16:14-15, 33-34).

While some may argue some of the points laid out above, we must remember which of the Three Great Ages we are in (Patriarchal Age, Mosaic Age, and the Christian/Church Age). Hebrews 7:12 says, “For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law.”

With the change of law also came a change in the way we receive salvation, or God’s grace. In the Mosaic Age, a person needed to have faith in the God of Israel including following all of the prescribed laws; thus becoming a Jew. Now, in the Christian/Church Age this is no longer necessary, but this is where common misunderstandings come in.

Some people will point to the thief on the cross and say, “Since the thief did not have to be immersed in order to be saved then neither do I.” However, one must consider when did the thief on the cross live and die? Answer: he lived and died in the Mosaic Age. Christian baptism was not commanded until 50 days later (Acts 2:38 see also Mark 16:16) at the beginning of the Christian/Church Age.

Others will look at one passage without considering who it was originally written to. Were they non-believers, or were they already immersed believers? Remember, immersion is a one-time event. However, the necessity to continue in the present active trust in Christ for a person’s salvation must be present until we are with the Lord in heaven (Matt. 10:32-33; 1 John 1:7-10).

Therefore, the faith Eph. 2:8 mentions is the heading under which each part of the Biblical plan of salvation falls: belief, repentance, confession and immersion. To reject this, is to reject numerous clear passages of Scripture and goes against proper Biblical interpretation.

By having and following the Biblical plan of salvation we can have assurance of our salvation (1 John 5:13). We can enjoy times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord here and now (Acts 3:19).  And we are free from condemnation on the Day of Judgment, since we are in Christ (Rom. 8:1).

It is my prayer that you follow the Biblical plan of salvation in order that you can have great confidence both now and on that Day when you stand before the Lord concerning your eternity.  If you have not, what is holding you back from getting right with God?

Because of God’s love,

     Matt

How to Understand the Bible 101: Lesson 4a: The Three Great Ages—Following the Obsolete vs. Living by the Complete: A look at the Law

Why do you believe and follow what you do? Is it because this is the way which you were taught or this is the way you’ve always done things? How do you know for sure that you are right? What if what you believe and follow is not the case; or maybe it was the case at some point in time but it is no longer? These questions are vitally important in every area of life and particularly when they regard things which have eternal consequences.

This month, we continue examining one of the most misunderstood principles for understanding the Bible which has led to why there are so many different denominations and views on some Biblical passages. Hebrews 7:12 says, “For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law.” The Bible lists 3 separate priesthoods (see below). Each of these priesthoods has their own laws.

	The Patriarchal Age (Job 1:5)	The Mosaic Age (Exodus 28:1)	The Church/Christian Age (1 Peter 2:9)
Priests	Fathers: The fathers of the households who served as priests, offering sacrifices and mediating for their families.	Levities: Aaron’s male descendants of his son Levi functioned as the priest.	Christians: Every believer is acts as a mediator between God and the sinful world by being responsible to tell others about God. (1 Pet. 2:9). Jesus is the only High Priest and mediator between God and us as believers. God spoke through Jesus (Heb. 1:2) and His apostles (Eph. 2:5).
Law	Oral: God spoke directly to the fathers. This law was passed down orally through the generations.	Written: God inspired Moses and the Prophets to write the OT.	Spiritual: God inspired the Apostles who wrote the NT (2 Tim. 3:16). This law has also been written on the hearts of all believers (Heb. 8:10-11).
Worship	Family altars (Job 1:5)	The Tabernacle during the wilderness wandering period, and then primary at the Temple in Jerusalem afterward.	Worship is to be done in spirit and truth within every believer (John 4:23-24).
Sacrifice	Animals (Gen. 8:20; 22:13)	Unblemished Animals (Lev. 22:18-20)	Jesus the Lamb of God (Heb. 10:10; 1 Pet. 1:18-19)

We today live under the New Covenant of the Church/Christian Age, and according to Hebrews 8:13 God has made the former covenants obsolete. Some will say that Jesus only did away with the ceremonial law of the OT; however, the NT does not make such a case (see Rom. 10:4; Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14)! Therefore, in order for the letter of the law to apply from a former covenant it must be restated in the newer covenant. Thus, a lot of things have changed. This is why we no longer offer animal sacrifices, be circumcised, or are bound by dietary restrictions (Mark 7:19). This is why we are no longer bound by the Sabbath commandment (Col. 2:16). Even still, we as Christians are commanded to continue meeting together (Heb. 10:25). The Sabbath has always been Saturday. However, the primary day in which we do that is the Lord’s Day, Sunday because that is the day which Jesus rose from the grave and that was the day which the NT church met (John 20:19; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2; Rev. 1:10). Even still the Lord’s Day is not the new Sabbath for Christians; Jesus is where we as Christians find rest (Matt. 11:28-30). And He promises a rest yet to come in heaven (Heb. 4:9).

Next month, we will take a look at another extremely common misunderstanding, which can be traced back to the law of the New Covenant under the Church Age, that is: is baptism essential for salvation? But for now, let’s consider the implications of being under the law of the Church Age. The OT law made nothing perfect, and as Christians, we have great confidence, allowing us to approach God, at any time, day or night (Heb. 7:19).  We are cared for deeply (Heb. 8:9). God’s law is in our minds and written on our hearts (Heb.8:10). We are His specially chosen people (Heb. 8:10). God Himself has chosen to be merciful to us, forgiving our sins and remembering them no more (Heb. 8:12). And now the only law which we are under is that of love (Rom 13:8-10). It is because of love which God gave us His laws; and it is because of our love for Him that we follow the law as Scripture teaches.  

Because of God’s great love,

Matt