The Trinity in Salvation

In my first book, "Great Words of the Faith", and in the chapter on "The Trinity", I quote from Augustine, the 4^th century theologian: "If you deny the Trinity, you lose your soul; if you try to explain the Trinity, you shall lose your mind." 

If you have difficulties with this fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith, you may find that chapter to be useful, and even enlightening. Remember that all royalties from all of my books are sent directly to Release International, in support of the persecuted church.

However, although that chapter is quite comprehensive, it is not definitive. So, here is some more on the Trinity!

The anonymous writer (my personal opinion is that it was Barnabas!) of the great Letter to Hebrew disciples of Jesus, having written of the animal sacrifices of Judaism, continues: "... how much more shall the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God."(9:14).

Note the implicit reference to the Trinity in those words: "The blood of Christ . . . through the eternal Spirit offered . . . to God." There is also a beautiful Trinitarian implication in Ephesians 2: 17-18: "And He [the Lord Jesus] came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father."

The promise of Christ to send the Holy Spirit is a high point of the Gospel of John. "... I will pray the Father," said the Lord Jesus, "and He will give you another Counselor," (Greek parakletos, meaning "one called alongside"), "to be with you for ever," (John 14:16). "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." (John 14:26). "But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, Who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness to Me;" (John 15:26).

 

It seems very clear from such Scriptures as these, that each of the three - Father, Son, Holy Spirit - is a distinct Persona. Yet that the three together are one God is also clear from the fact that they are identified, by Name, as One. Converts are to be baptised "... in the Name (note the singular: 'onoma' - one Name) of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19). Note also the benediction formula. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ (which is all-sufficient), and the love of God (that never fails), and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (Who never forsakes), be with you all. Amen" (2 Corinthians 13:14). What we cannot fully understand in our minds of this wonderful triune Godhead, we can understand and believe with our hearts.

It is no longer I.

The early Church Father named Augustine was born, in 354 AD, to a Christian mother and a pagan father, in North Africa. However, he turned his back on the faith of his mother and by the time he was eighteen years of age, he was already keeping a mistress. He had an excellent education and at only sixteen years of age, became a teacher of rhetoric (the skill, or art, of using language effectively) in the university of Carthage. He later taught in both Rome and Milan, and it was in the latter city that he began to search for "truth".

His mother also moved to Milan (his father had already died), and she prayed for him, and shared the Gospel message with him. The bishop of Milan at that time, was Aurelius Ambrose, a prominent and well-known theologian. Augustine had an  intellectual interest in Ambrose's sermons, and would later adapt much of this teaching into his own thinking. After the sermon, he would usually sit on a bench outside the church building, and wait for his mother. One day he heard what he thought was a child playing a sing-song game, "Take up and read." When he did not see anyone, he realised that what he had heard had a supernatural origin. He found a copy of the New Testament and opened it to Paul's letter to the Romans. Reading this changed his life, and he became a Christian - a follower of the Christ.

Augustine went on to become a bishop, and was to become influential in both the Roman and the Reformed traditions. He wrote an autobiography- his "Confessions" - and his other "magnum opus" was "The City of God against the pagans". This was his response to those who blamed the followers of the Christ, for the sack of Rome by the Goths, led by Alaric I.

However, soon after his profession of faith in the Lord Jesus, he was walking along a street in Milan. As he did so, he was accosted by a prostitute whom he had known intimately. She called out to him, but he ignored her, and kept on walking.

"Augustine!," she shouted, "it is I."

He replied: "Yes, but it is no longer I!"

Paul wrote: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Gal.2:20; emphasis added). I wonder, had those words come to Augustine's mind at that moment?

We can never satisfy our sinful nature. Indeed, trying to do so may even cause us to travel further and further away from the Saviour. But when we put on the Lord Jesus, the Christ, and walk in the power of His Spirit, so that it is no longer "I" who lives, but the Christ Who lives in me, then we may overcome that sinful nature that constantly pulls us down. When the tempter comes, may we have the strength to ignore him, and to keep walking in the way of the Lord. Let us "... walk by the Spirit, and ... not gratify the desires of the flesh." (Gal.5:16). That's the way that leads to heaven.

In the Beginning - Pt.11

11 chapters; 11 posts! I didn't set out to produce this much, but what feedback there has been has been positive, so I trust that many others who read these weekly messages will have been helped by our thinking about these seminal chapters of the written Word of Almighty God, the Bible.

However, we are at the end - I have no wish to go through the various genealogies, important 'though they are in their own way - as we look at Gen.11:1-9: « Now the whole earth had one language and few words.  And as men migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Ba'bel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. »

It was the Augustinian monk and founder of the Order, Augustine, who coined the phrase « Man proposes, but God disposes. » However, Solomon perhaps put it best in Prov. 19:21 : « Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of YHWH that will be established. » When we read this episode in the history of humanity, we realise just how true this is!

Notice the opening words - « ... one language and few words. ». As one who has lived in France for, now, seven years I would love that that situation could have continued! Of course, this unity of language of the whole human race followed from the unity of its descent from one human pair. 

In Gen.10:8, we discover that Cush, Noah's grandson, « … became the father of Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. ». We also discover, in 10:10, that he was a man of ambition, who established a kingdom, beginning with Babel, in the land of Shinar. This land was the setting for the record that we are now considering. By the way, Babel and Babylon are identical. The first is the transliteration of the Hebrew language word, the second is the Greek language equivalent.

Babel was the first centre of civilisation in the ancient, post-Flood, world. It was famed for its "ziggurats" - tall, wide-based, stepped towers; and its name even meant "gate of the gods". However, their gods were their own perceived cleverness and power - and how many counterparts they have today! In the Bible, Babel/Babylon is the type of society without God (see, e.g., Rev. 17-18). Here, the true God scorns the self-reliant pride of the inhabitants - their great power is actually so puny that He has to "come down" to see the city and its tower! Of course, Almighty God doesn't have to literally investigate what is happening in His universe. The language is used simply in order to make a point in anthropomorphic terms. I think, too, of the words of Psalm 2: 2-4 - worth looking up! 

This infamous project was, effectively, an arrogant « spitting in the face » of Almighty God. They wanted to « … make a name for themselves, ». Was this a follow-on from the first temptation of the satan, at which we looked earlier? They wanted it to be « a tower with its top in the heavens, » - to be   « like God »? It was certainly a revolutionary act! In Gen.9:1, Noah and his family were instructed to « Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. ». These people wanted to stay, together, in one place. However, the firm establishment of an ungodly unity, the wickedness and audacity of men would have led to fearful enterprises. A society without God at its centre falls apart into communication breakdown, and international disputes - and we are seeing evidence of that in our own time!

« A society without God at its centre falls apart. » and so does an individual! Augustine also said that « Thou hast made us for Thyself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee » A modern equivalent is «There's a God-shaped hole in every heart that only God can fill. » Those words are usually attributed to the 17th century French philosopher and mathematician, Blaise Pascal. Sadly, he didn't use those precise words! However, they are catchy enough, and are not far from what he did write: « There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man, and only God can fill it. »  If you are finding life to be heavy going; if you sometimes feel that you are coming apart at the seams; if you have reached the end of your tether; may I encourage you to turn to the One Who has, and is, the answer to even your situation? He may not remove the difficulty - but He will show you how to cope, and He will be right there with you!

In Matt.28:19-20 we have what is usually referred to as "The Great Commission" - the final words of the risen Lord Jesus to His disciples: « Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age. » (emphasis added). Those emphasised words apply to every situation in which any of His disciples find themselves. No other friend can make that promise, with such absolute assurance. Let Him fill that vacuum, and discover that He truly did come that you « ...  may have life, and have it abundantly. » (Jn.10:10).

Where will death lead?

As the previous post indicates, I have a deep interest in what is referred to as "the persecuted church". These are disciples of Jesus, the Christ who suffer for His Name's sake in more than fifty countries in the world, today. Someone has estimated that more Christians died for their faith in the 20th century, than in the previous nineteen centuries combined! 

Even the former UK Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, MP, who ordered a report on the subject, accepted that persecution of Christians in parts of the world is at near "genocide" levels. The review, led by the Bishop of Truro, estimated that one in three people suffer from religious persecution, and that Christians were the most persecuted religious group. Mr Hunt said he felt that "political correctness" had played a part in the issue not being confronted - something with which I would agree!

In 410 AD, the Germanic barbarians known as the Goths (yes, that's the origin of that word!! I often wonder if those who dress, and use make-up, in a particular manner, and go by that name, actually know of those from whom they take their name!) sacked the city of Rome. During the invasion, many disciples of Jesus were put to death in hideous and cruel ways - just as happens in 2019! In the midst of this terrible, and tragic, situation, the great theologian Augustine (354 - 430) wrote his classic volume The City of God. His reflections, from nearly sixteen centuries ago, are still relevant today.

Augustine wrote: "The end of life puts the longest life on a par with the shortest ... ... Death becomes evil only by the retribution which follows it. They, then, who are destined to die, need not inquire about what death they are to die, but into what place death will usher them." 

During my tears in pastoral ministry, I dealt with many who were, themselves, dealing with death - either their own, or that of a loved one. What a difference there was between those who could look beyond death to an eternity with the One Whom they had loved for, in some cases, many decades; and those to whom death was something to be feared. And, by the way, what a difference it made to the funeral service that I was so often asked to conduct!

For the true disciple of Jesus, death is not a policeman hauling us off to court, but a servant ushering us into the presence of a loving Saviour. The apostle Paul understood this. He looked at life and death from the perspective of the Lord Jesus. Since he knew where death would take him, he could make the bold declaration: "Lo! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable nature must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.' 'O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (I Cor 15:51-57).

Every disciple of Jesus - whether we die quietly in our own bed, or are crucified, burnt, hanged, beheaded, or whatever - may have that same assurance. Because of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, we who have placed our trust in Him can look at death, not as a 'full stop', but as a 'comma' - that precedes  a glorious eternity with our Lord.

Perhaps you don't like to think of death - especially not your own!  But ignoring your death won’t stop it from happening—the mortality rate is still 100%! Medical advances can often extend lives, but no mortal lives forever. In the end, doctors lose every patient they treat. Your bank balance won't help; your social status won't help; your personal accomplishments won't help. George Soros will die; your favourite sporting celebrity will die; every film star will die. Eventually you, and everyone you love, will die. Until the rapture of the saints, every life on this earth ends in death.

So it is important that you know where you are going! You may believe that death is, indeed, a full stop; that when your mortal body breathes its last, there will be nothing. You may be in for a big surprise! I am saddened when I read, on social network sites, people wishing a deceased loved one "a happy heavenly birthday"; when I hear people say, with no evidence to support the claim, that someone who has, perhaps, been in a lot of pain, "is in a better place"; when I see comments about people being reunited with loved ones who died before them. 

That is why so many of these posts seek to point you to Jesus. Only in Him is there victory over death, and hell, and the grave. The anonymous writer of the great letter to Hebrew disciples of Jesus wrote: "... we see Jesus, Who for a little while was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death , so that by the grace of God He might taste death for every one. ... ... ... Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same nature that, through death, He might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage." (Heb 2:9, 14-15).

May all who do read this post experience the salvation that is available in Jesus, and know eternal life - even now! "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have [note the present tense!] eternal life." (John 3:16).

From Hebraic roots to Greek philosophy! (Part 3)

Okay! After that slight detour, it's back into the Tardis! (If this is your first visit, I recommend that you read Parts 1 and 2, below, before continuing here!). This time we travel forward to the end of the fourth century/beginning of the fifth. There we may meet a man named Augustine, from a place called Hippo in modern Algeria. Augustine is considered by both Roman and Reformed theologians to be one of the most important figures, if not the most important, in the development of western Christianity. It was he who introduced idea of original sin; and our understanding of evil. But what is not always emphasisied is that Augustine was originally a follower of the heretical cult of Manichaeism – that promoted a form of dualism (remember Plato?!) with good v. evil; light v. darkness; body v. soul.

He also followed a tradition established by a Hellenistic Jew named Philo of Alexandria (c.20BC-50AD), and refined by Origen (185-254) in using allegory to interpret Scripture. When Jesus spoke in a parable, there was one main lesson; an allegory takes just about every point and ‘spiritualises’ it. So, for example, I was informed just last evening - in an Old Testament (Tanakh) example - that when David took five stones from the brook before facing up to the Philistine, Goliath, the four "unused" stones were for the killing of Goliath's brothers! Of course, even clainming that Goliath had four brothers is reading into a particular passage of the Tanakh what one wants it to say, rather than taking out of it what it says! That is "eisegesis" rather than "exegesis"!

Augustine declared that the Scriptures are inspired by God; but reinforced Origen’s idea that Jesus needs to be ‘shoe-horned’ all over the Tanakh – even if the fit is uncomfortable – and that allegorical interpretations are the way in which to deal with passages that are difficult! His approach was to say that, initially, we should look for the spirit behind the literal texts; to grasp the mind of God through spiritual understanding – even in passages that were quite obviously meant to be taken literally!

The last person we mention in this whistle-stop Tardis journey is a man named Thomas Aquinas – a 13th century Italian Dominican friar and theologian who combined the theological principles of faith with the philosophical principles of reason. His “hero” was Aristotle (whom, for the sake of at least relative brevity, we have "skipped over"!) and, in common with the Greek philosopher, he was keen on using the rational mind and senses alongside faith.

His ideas are best explained in his major, and most famous, work – Summa Theologica. This is a guide to all of the main theological teachings of the Church of Rome. Look at just one teaching, concerning the doctrine of transubstantiation. This is the belief in the Church of Rome that, as part of the Eucharist/Holy Communion/celebration of the Last Supper, the bread and wine actually change into the body and blood of the Lord Jesus, the Christ, on the altar – rather than the teaching of the Reformed churches that they are merely symbols. Aristotle taught that all matter is made up of an inner “substance” (which gives it its reality) and an outer “accident” (which gives it its appearance). For example, if we look at bread, it is white, round, soft. The whiteness is not the bread, it is simply a quality that the bread has; the same is true of the roundness and the softness. There is something there that has these and other properties, qualities, attributes - the philosophers call all of them accidents. Whiteness and roundness we see; softness brings in the sense of touch. We might smell bread, and the smell of new bread is wonderful, but once again the smell is not the bread, but simply a property. The something which has the whiteness, the softness, the roundness, has the smell; and if we try another sense, the sense of taste, the same something has that special effect upon our palate.

What Thomas did was talk about the universally-held Doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist—the change of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ—in the language of the day. He said that, when the bread and wine are consecrated by a validly ordained Priest, the “accidents” (outward appearance) remain the same, but the inner “substance” (reality) of the bread and wine becomes the “substance” of the Body and Blood of Christ: i.e. “transubstantiation.”  Shades of, you may recall, Plato’s “Theory of Forms”!

So, back to earth! That was a very sparse outline of the way in which Greek philosophy infiltrated Christian theology and its Hebrew roots. To summarise: the ideas of Plato were refined by Philo (for a Jewish audience) and Origen (for a Christian audience). Thanks to Augustine, the father of the Western Church, they became thoroughly entwined with God’s revelation to us in the Scriptures. The ideas of Aristotle were added to the mix, and all was put together by Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologica.

In the next part, we shall, D.V., climb back into our "virtual Tardis", and move forward to the fourth century, A.D. See you then!! :-)

You need to know the problem!

In January, on our way back to France, we collected a small caravan as we really have been missing our caravan holidays. It's a 24-year-old Eriba - caravans that were, I am convinced, designed by the designers of Dr Who's Police Telephone Box. They certainly seem to be able to hold much more than the external dimensions would indicate.

Anyway, last week we took the 'new' caravan for a test break, just to check that everything was working correctly. One of the differences between this Eriba and previous "full-size" caravans, is that the water supply is kept inside - with separate containers for the kitchen and the wash-hand basin in the toilet (yes, it isn't totally primitive!). I filled both containers when we arrived on-site, and  we settled down for a pleasant 'long week-end'. It was when my wife used the wash-hand basin that the problem surfaced (no pun intended!). The tap was obviously operating, as we could hear the pump in the reservoir working. However, instead of water flowing from the tap, it was bubbling into the cupboard below.

The resident  plumber (me!) was called to the scene and started to look for the source of the unwanted water-flow. I checked the connection to the tap, but all was well. I checked the top of the container, but it was tightly sealed. Eventually, I discovered that, when I had removed the container in order to fill it, I had inadvertently disconnected the feed pipe from the top. This meant that the water was being pumped out from that spot!

Well, having discovered the problem, I was able to easily deal with it, and the water flowed as it was intended to!

So why am I sharing this? Simply because I see, in the experience, an analogy of human life. So many are searching for meaning and purpose in life. However, if they are looking in the wrong places, they are never going to find the solution. Some will try to find it in their job; some in relationships; some in drugs (including alcohol and nicotine); some in power and authority. However, it was a wise man, named Blaise Pascal, who pointed out that "There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing," or as Augustine put it many centuries earlier, "Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee." Even further back in time, the writer of the Book of Ecclesiastes wrote: "God has set eternity in the hearts of men." (3:11).

Our problem is what the Bible describes, so very simply, as "sin", defined by the Shorter Catechism as "... any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God." In more contemporary language, that is saying that if we fail to keep God's laws, or break any of them, then we are guilty of sin! And, of course, as the Bible also points out, that includes every one of us: "... there is no distinction; since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (Rom.3:22-23).

That's the problem! My sin separates me from my Creator, and there is nothing that I can do to rectify the situation. Thankfully, He has already dealt with the problem. The Blaise Pascal quotation continues: "... but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus." He, and He alone, is the answer. He gave Himself, as God in human flesh, on a cross at Calvary, that you and I might have the opportunity to be reconciled to God. What a wonderful offer! Have you taken it up? If not, then I urge you to do so without delay. 

You now know the problem - grasp the solution while you still have time. Remember, tomorrow isn't guaranteed to any of us"

God - and the Archbishop!

The headline immediately attracted my attention.  

"Archbishop Welby: Sometimes I wonder if God really exists."

Thinking that it was one of those deliberately misleading headlines, designed to encourage me to read the full article, I did just that!  The headline, it would appear, is absolutely accurate!  In what was offered as a direct quotation, we are informed: "The other day I was praying over something as I was running and I ended up saying to God ‘Look this is all very well but isn’t it about time you did something, if you’re there’ – probably not what the Archbishop of Canterbury should say." (emphasis added). That final comment must surely be viewed as something of an understatement!  

So, if the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church has occasion to doubt the very existence of the Creator God, is it any wonder that so much appears to be wrong within that particular communion - at least in the 'western' world?

Of course, the existence of God is on of those hoary old chestnuts that is pulled out, time and time again, by the sceptical, secular, humanists of the world.   And it must be admitted that, in the sense of laboratory experiments, that existence is something that we cannot prove!  Nor, indeed, should we expect to be able to do so!  If I was able to reduce God to the confines of a test-tube, then I would be greater than God.  In that case, the God Whose existence I had now 'proved' would not be God at all, as one definition of God is "the creator and ruler of the universe and the source of all moral authority: the supreme being." (Oxford Dictionary).  If I have reduced this being to something the existence of which I can 'prove', that I am certainly superior to that Being - and it, whatever else it may be, is not God! 

This is not to say that there is no evidence for the existence of God - but note my use of the word 'evidence'.  Evidence is not scientific proof.  In a criminal investigation, for example, the detectives who are involved in the case will gather evidence from the crime scene and elsewhere.  They will put together a case, and present it to the Office of the Procurator Fiscal (in Scotland), or to the Crown Prosecution Service (in the rest of the UK).  It will then be up to the legal experts to decide whether, or not, the case as presented is likely to persuade a jury that the accused is guilty of the crime as charged!  There is no 'proof''.  It has all to do with the burden of evidence - "beyond reasonable doubt"!

The topic is too large for me to deal with in just one post on this blog.  Anyway, I deal with it, to some extent, in the second volume of my book series (Foundations of the Faith) that I hope to have published by the end of the year, or early next year.  However, permit me to share a few thoughts.

1. Creation  I would contend that any unbiased, impartial, observer would accept that this amazing universe in which we live out our mortal lives is not the result of a long series of random accidents. To use an unoriginal example, if I see a Boeing 747 sitting on an airport runway, I do not conclude that it resulted from an explosion in a junk-yard!  (We won't go into the origin of the junk-yard, or the cause of the explosion!).  Design demands a Designer, and the creation demands a Creator to Whom, in the English language, we give the nomenclature "God".

2. DNA  Okay, I suppose that after Creation, everything else is merely a sub-section!  Having said that, DNA is amazing!  What is it?  Well, I am no micro-biologist, but I know that it is a code - a code made up of four chemicals identified by scientists as A, T,G, and C.  These are arranged in the well-known double helix.  Every human cell has no less than three billion of these 'letters' in its code. They are, effectively, the instruction manual for the cell.  An instruction manual, basic logic tells us, requires a writer who deliberately, and intentionally, prepares it.  We call that writer, God!

3. The human 'heart'  No, not the organ that is pumping blood around your body as you read this post - although it is a remarkable piece of engineering in its own right!  I'm referring more to the human psyche - the inner person that makes me different from you, and you different from everyone else. Suppress it as we may, there is something inside us that 'knows' that there is a superior Being.  I read an article just a few months ago that claimed that this "sense of God" is innate to humanity.  Our 'default' position is, apparently, that we accept the existence of God.  It is a secular society, that does not want to be answerable and accountable, that then 'teaches' us that the whole idea is nonsense. However, even then, there is truth in the words of Augustine that "Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee"; or, in a more contemporary form: "There's a God-shaped blank in every heart that only God can fill".

I doubt that the Archbishop of Canterbury reads this blog, but I trust that someone will advise him that he need not doubt.  Almighty God has not left Himself without witness. Our God is totally dependable; totally trustworthy; totally believable.  

“Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (Jn.20:29). 




  

So, where was God?!

I have deliberately waited a few days before daring to comment on the tragedy that took place in the Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, Connecticut, on Friday.  Such an event does not call for a "knee-jerk" reaction. 

It's been interesting, however, to notice the way in which the vast majority - if not all - of those in that community have looked to "religion" for solace and strength.  It would appear, yet again, that when "the chips are down" we tend to confirm the words of Augustine: "Thou hast made us for Thyself, and we are restless 'til we find our rest in Thee"; or the more contemporary counterpart, "There's a God-shaped blank in every heart that only God can fill."  In times of particular sorrow, most of us do turn, instinctively, to a greater Power!

But that, of course, raises the question: "If there is a God, why would He allow such a terrible thing to happen?"  I was preaching on the Sunday immediately following 9/11, and I had to ask the same question.  In such situations of death, destruction, suffering, and sorrow, "Where is God?"   The only answer that I could offer then, and can offer now, is that He is right there, in the midst of it all.  The approaching Christmas season is a reminder that He was willing to take on our humanity, in order to offer us His eternity.

I have a little clip on my study wall that reads:
"If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator; if our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist; if our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist; if our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer; but our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Saviour."

What kind of Saviour do we need when our hearts are shredded by the kind of brutal loss experienced by the loved ones of those who died, children and adults, in Sandy Hook School?  We need a Saviour Who has tasted the very cup that we are being forced to drink.  We need a Saviour Whom we know understands our grief, and pain, and even our bewilderment.  At the tomb of His friend, Lazarus,we read that "Jesus wept" (John 11³⁵).  He understands!

Almost a year ago, one of the young sergeants in 'Q' Division of Strathclyde Police collapsed and died while playing off-duty football (soccer) with some of the constables from his shift.  I had the following sent, on my behalf, to every officer and staff member in the Division:

"On Monday, along with many officers and staff, I attended the funeral service for the late Sgt. [name withheld].

Death is never an easy situation to handle but, in circumstances such as [name withheld]’s sudden death, it is even more difficult.  As Chaplain, I want to share some thoughts that will, I trust, help some of you to cope with this particular situation a little more easily.  

In such tragic circumstances, I find myself thinking of the sorrow that death inevitably brings.  This is especially true for the immediate family – for [names withheld].   There is the deep sorrow of loneliness – the empty chair; the vacant place at the table; the void in life itself.  A certain emptiness, or vacuum, has been created in our lives – and sorrow is its close companion.  Into such a situation, the message of the Christian Gospel is of One Who  has said to those who are willing to trust Him: “I will never leave you, nor forsake you” (Heb.135); of One Who is willing to “... stand by [us] more closely than a brother.” (Prov.1824)

In these circumstances, it is my experience that there is also a comfort that mankind instinctively seeks.  We quickly become aware of our inability to cope with this new situation alone.  That’s why relatives and friends gather around at such a time.  It’s for the benefit of the bereaved, as much as out of respect for the deceased.  It’s the reason  why so many, who have had no time for God in their lives turn to Him, almost instinctively, when death strikes at their own family, or circle of friends – especially in circumstances such as those surrounding Sgt [name withheld]’s death.  The sad thing to me is that, in so many cases, once the grief is eased, He is again forgotten, rejected, despised.  Yet to those who truly seek Him, the promise stands: “They cried out for Your help, and You gave it; they trusted in You, and You didn’t let them down.” (Ps.225).  There’s a comfort for which we instinctively seek – and the word comfort, of course, really means strength; but strength that is offered with love and compassion.

The third thought concerns the tragedy that God magnificently changes.  I think, as did the young priest at the funeral service, of another seeming tragedy in the history of mankind – Calvary.  Jesus, in the teaching of the Christian Gospel, God the Son, hanging on a cross; His disciples distressed, despairing, disorientated.  Yet, according to the teaching of the New Testament, just a few weeks later, God the Father had worked in that situation, through God the Holy Spirit, changing it to one of glorious triumph.  Those same men and women were now bold, courageous, strong.

So as we gave, and give, thanks for the life of [name withheld], we continue to surround his widow and children with our love and prayers, that they might experience the transforming power of God in their lives."

We can do no more, and no better, than to surround the bereaved of Newtown in the same way.

The Secular Society

As anyone who knows me is aware, I have very little time for the soccer type of football (rugby football is a different matter altogether!).  However, certain events and incidents become part of the national news and, therefore, are brought to my attention.

Saturday saw the collapse, in the middle of a game, of a young man named Fabrice Muamba, the Bolton midfielder of whom, I confess, I had never heard before.   He suffered a cardiac arrest (not a heart attack, as some of the media insist on stating!) and, for some two hours, his heart was kept beating artificially.  Thankfully, especially for him and his family, the latest news from the hospital is that there are definite signs of improvement.  Of course, only when he is fully conscious again will the extent of any potential damage to, for example, his brain become apparent.

Apart from the incident itself, what I found to be of great interest was the constant reporting that asked for prayer for this young man.  Indeed, I'm certain that I caught a News report glimpse of a player in a match on Sunday who, having scored a goal for his team removed his jersey to reveal another one that had a number 4 clearly displayed.  A slightly closer look indicated that it read "Pray 4 Fabrice"!

One of today's newspapers reported that: "Bolton's reserve side were due to take on West Brom on Wednesday, but the game has been called off. 'Football is a close-knit community and everyone at West Bromwich Albion was shocked and saddened to witness the scenes at White Hart Lane,' a statement from West Brom read. 'All our thoughts and prayers are with Fabrice.'" (The Independent)

Over recent years, we have been informed by men like Richard Dawkins, that not only is there (probably!!!) no God, but that religion is almost as good as dead.  Mr Dawkins obviously doesn't do any research in the rest of the world where, in fulfilment of His own promise, Jesus is building His Church.  I know that I receive countless reports, from a wide range of organisations, that make it clear that the Body of Christ may say, as Mark Twain famously said, that "Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated"!

Here, in the UK, there may be those who insist that we are a secular society, and that religion - specifically Christianity (which is not a 'religion', but a vital relationship) - is a spent force.  The popular reaction to Fabrice Muamba's collapse and hospitalisation would indicate otherwise!

Many centuries ago, Augustine summed it all up, so succinctly: "Thou has made us for Thyself; and our hearts are restless 'til they find their rest in Thee".

What is a Christian?

I never thought that I would see the day when I would be in agreement with Richard Dawkins!  However, I have to admit that he is quite correct in his conclusion, aired in this morning's Today programme (BBC Radio 4), that not everyone who claimed to be "Christian" in last year's Census is, in fact, a believer!

The item was based on some new figures produced by Dr Dawkins’s think tank, the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science (a typical Dawkins touch: not just any old Foundation for Reason and Science, but the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science.) The statistics, based on a poll of 1,000 people, apparently show that most people who identify themselves as Christian turn out, when questioned on what they actually think, to be “overwhelmingly secular in their attitudes on issues ranging from gay rights to religion in public life”. Dawkins’ conclusion is that these self-identified Christians are “not really Christian at all”.  He is probably correct.  Certainly, for many, the term is a negative one.  "I am not a Jew, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Buddhist, etc., and I was born in this country.  Therefore, I must be that other one - oh yes, I'm a Christian"!!!

So, what is a Christian - in a positive sense?  That's a question with which I have dealt in a previous post but, since it was three or four years ago, I'll share those thoughts again!

There are many passages in the New Testament that give us good definitions/descriptions of what a Christian is, one of them being Philippians 4:4-7 - "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (NKJV)

So, a Christian is someone who enjoys a presence - even the presence of the Lord, Jesus the Christ. He is, Paul says, "at hand" or "very near". One translation says "The Lord is at your elbow"! Our company makes such a difference to our lives. "Show me your company, and I'll tell you your character" is the old adage - and how true it is. The Christian is blessed in having company that is perfect: the company of Jesus. And He is One Who is always there for us. Family, friends, colleagues, however fine, are often elsewhere. But Jesus said "I am with you - always"! (Matt.28:20)

A Christian is someone who also forms a practice. Paul encourages us to "Rejoice". He is writing from prison, in Rome but, in spite of all that he has gone through as a disciple of Jesus; in spite of his present situation as a disciple of Jesus; despite what he knew would be his earthly future (death by beheading); and despite the persecution he knew would be experienced by his fellow disciples; he repeats his exhortation: "Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, 'Rejoice." Such joy comes from two activities - prayer, and praise. "Don't worry", says Paul, "Pray!" Nothing is too small; nothing is too great, to bring before Father God in prayer. And we may do so in a spirit of praise and thanksgiving. (see also I Thess.5:18)

The last thing that Paul says in this little passage is that a Christian is someone who trusts a promise. That promise is that "...the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Here is a promise of adequacy provided by Jesus. He, alone. In Him we have the assurance of sins forgiven, and the power to resist the temptations that the devil keeps placing before us. He also stills the anxieties that crowd into our 21st century "sophisticated" minds.

Being a true Christian, in a living relationship with Jesus is wonderful, and those of us who claim to be such need to show the real thing to those with whom we come in contact, day by day.

My favourite bit from the Today discussion, to which I listened with great enjoyment, was when R D was challenged - having previously used, as evidence of his thesis, the point that there were those in his polled sample, who had claimed, in the 2011 Census, to be "Christian", and who didn't know the name of the first book in the New Testament - to give the full title of Darwin's "On the Origin of Species".  He was unable to meet the challenge (!) and said: "On the Origin of Species…Uh…With, oh, God, On the Origin of Species. .. ..."

The 'leader' of the modern anti-God, pro-evolution, movement appealing to such a "non-existent entity" when in trouble!!!

Perhaps there is, indeed, truth in the statement of Augustine: "Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee"; and in the more contemporary equivalent: "There's a God-shaped blank in every heart, that only God can fill."!!!  I wonder what RD would say to that?

Seeking God?

Probably the best-known quotation from the Early Church Father, Augustine, is found in the first paragraph of the first chapter of the first book of his Confessions. It reads (in translation): "Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless 'til they find their rest in Thee". More recently, the French philosopher/theologian/mathematician Blaise Pascal wrote: "There is a God-shaped hole in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God the Creator." And, to bring it right up-to-date, someone put it that "There's a God-shaped blank in every heart, that only God can fill".

So, is there a restlessness - a seeking after God - deep in the human heart? If so, where does it originate? Humankind, as we know it, is referred to by anthropologists and evolutionists as Homo Sapiens - 'wise' man, or 'knowing' man. Mind you, as I look at the destruction of the planet; at the breakdown in social relationships - especially in terms of marriage and the family; at the continuing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; at the ever-growing abuse of substances that people know to be harmful, if not fatal; the increase in terrorism, and criminal activity - especially in crimes of violence; I really do wonder why we should be so named! But that's the official terminology, used in the best text-books and encyclopaediae.

Yet even the modern scene does suggest that, whether or not some would wish to admit it, we are Homo Religiosis - religious man. The prevalence of scientific humanism, and selfish materialism, that has pervaded so much of modern society - at least in the so-called 'developed west' - has not diminished a longing for God. Indeed, if anything, it has increased it. People will always end up paying a price - for some, a very heavy price - when the religious drive within them is stifled, or frustrated. And in the crazy pot-pourri of cults; New Age movements; new religions; and even the Goth sub-culture apparently still loved by many young, and not-so-young, people; we may see evidence of a hunger and thirst for God that such dear people don't even recognise.

But, whether we recognise it, or not, we human beings do have a yearning to know that which is, in fact, beyond our understanding. Religion may be defined as society's attempt to formulate its beliefs about that 'higher power', and practices for relating to that same power. This, of course, is where the disciple of Jesus refers to 'faith' rather than religion. The Christian faith speaks of a God Who is Holy (that means different from all that He has created), and Who cannot even look upon the sinfulness of the pinnacle of His creation. But it also speaks of a God Who is Love, and Who longs to see the relationship with humankind restored. In order to be true to both His love, and His holiness, He had to become one of us - in the Persona of the Son (and that isn't a typo - go to my audio blog and listen to the message on The Trinity, and all will be made clear!) - and, in love, pay the penalty that His holiness required.

Now, obviously, one cannot share the fullness of the Gospel in a couple of sentences, and what I have just written is very much simplified. But, if anyone wants to know more, then please leave a comment - which will not be published - with an e-mail address, and I will happily endeavour to answer your question(s), and provide any other help that I am able to provide. However, the bottom line is probably those words from the New Testament that have been heard by many, even if they couldn't give the reference: "God loved (and loves) the world (that includes you!) so much that, in the Persona of the Son, He entered the time-space continuum that He had created, and permitted humankind to nail His human body to a cross, and lay it in a tomb, from which He arose, victorious over sin, and death, and hell; so that anyone (that still includes you!) who confesses their sin, and accepts His offer of full and free salvation, acknowledging Him as Saviour and Lord, may have, here and now, His life within them." Okay, that's very much an expanded paraphrase of John 3:16 - but I hope that it helps to make it more clear.

Seeking God? He's already seeking you - and is always willing to meet you more than half-way! Now that has just got to be "Good News"!