Before I shared Lee Strobel's video series on the proof of creationism, I shared several posts regarding the Bible. Those posts contained several proof sources that the Bible is indeed the inspired, infallible word of God. So far I have shared information regarding the Bible and the proof of science and prophecy. I promised to also share information regarding the proof of history and archaeology to conclude my posts titled "Examining the Bible". You can find those posts under the tab THE BIBLE.
However, because this is Good Friday (the day Jesus was crucified) and Easter is this weekend, I am shifting my focus to spending the next few posts explaining the central role of Jesus in the Christian faith and why it is that Easter is one of the most important holidays celebrated by believers. I'll never forget when I was in my twenties and pregnant with my 2nd child. I worked at a bank as a personal banker. It was Good Friday and the branch manager (my boss) told us she was leaving early to attend a church service for Good Friday. First of all I had no idea what Good Friday was nor did I even understand the true meaning of Easter. To me Easter was about dying Easter eggs, Easter egg hunts and baskets full of candy and gifts. Curiosity got the best of me and I asked her what Good Friday was. She explained that Good Friday was the day that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. If you read my testimony of faith than you know that it was at my job in banking that I first started to be introduced to Christianity as I worked with many Christians. I basically replied "Oh, I see" and turned around to return to my desk. That is when she said, "Debi, I'd love to have you and your family join mine for Easter service this weekend". I replied that I was not religious, didn't know what Easter was about and would feel strange going. She then told me that Easter was basically a love story. A story about Jesus taking the penalty for my sins and dying on the cross so I could live eternal life with God in heaven. I remember vividly thinking my boss was out of her mind. First of all, I did not believe in "sin" nor did I believe in heaven. I believed that we all created our own reality and were responsible only to ourselves when it came to matters of morality. Sin was nonsense. I lived by the concept of "if it feels right, do it" and believed I was a "good" person and that was enough! I also firmly believed in the idea of reincarnation. Heaven was a myth, we died and were reincarnated into another person. I was very sure of these beliefs and had no time for what she was talking about. This "encounter" with my boss at the bank was the first time in my life that someone had witnessed to me about Jesus. A small door was opened that day. It would take many more years however before I accepted her "story about Jesus" as truth.
You may be where I was in my twenties. Hearing about the concept of "sin" and either not understanding it or believing in it. Trust me I get that! I was once in your shoes. The purpose of this post is to discuss what sin is and what it's role is in us being accountable to God. I'm hoping that at this point, if you have been a regular reader of this blog and have read my posts on the Bible; that perhaps you have come to the point at which you can acknowledge that the Bible is what it claims to be-God's word, his revelation of truth, written for us. Doing so gives you the peace and assurance that comes with knowing God went out of his way to communicate with us, revealing himself as our loving heavenly Father.
But this is also challenging, because the Bible presents us with some very sobering realities. The first of these realities is that God is not only loving, but also holy. The word, holy, seems like sort of an old-fashioned one-we don't hear it much anymore. But the Bible presents it as a vitally important concept, because it tells us that God is absolutely pure and separate from anything that is tainted or stained by impurity, described in the Scriptures as sin.
We live in a culture where the concept of sin has become entangled in legalistic arguments over right and wrong. When many of us consider "What is sin?" we think of violations of the Ten Commandments. Even then, we tend to think of murder and adultery as "major" sins compared to lying, cursing or stealing. The truth is that sin, as defined in the original translations of the Bible, means "to miss the mark." The mark, in this case, is the standard of perfection established by God. Viewed in that light, it is clear that we are all sinners. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 3:23: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
This truths brings us face-to-face with a serious difficulty: God's standard of righteousness is something that none of us can live up to. Specifically, both the Old and New Testaments present a clear message from God that tells us "You must be holy because I am holy." The problem with that is obvious: we are not holy!
We are sinful people, plain and simple. Yes, the Bible says that originally we were created good; God does not create evil. But starting with the first human beings, right down to you and me, we have all rebelled against God in various ways. We've chosen our own path and ignored His will for our lives. We've become sinners.
Lest there by any doubt, just watch the daily news. The human race is marked by violence and immoral behavior, crimes large and small. Our wars destroy countless people--estimates say well over 100 million were killed in the twentieth century alone. Then there's the growing reality or terrorism, with its murder of innocent civilians, including women and children of all ages. Human trafficking and the growing worldwide sex trade. Governmental corruption. Corporate fraud. Immorality and abuse among clergy. Tax evasion, employee theft, students cheating on exams, job applicants lying on resumes. Abuse of our bodies, each other, and the planet. The stories and the statistics concerning our sinfulness are staggering.
The Bible predicted that society would become increasingly like this. Look at this prophetic description in Timothy 3:2-5, written by the apostle Paul some 2,000 years ago:
For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, and be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious but they will reject the power that could make them Godly.
It's easy to read a passage like that and tell yourself that although that may be a good description of the world as a whole, that its not true of you. Remember God sees our impure thoughts, our mixed motives, our ugly envy, our insincere sentiments & our disingenuous gestures. Worse still he sees our PRIDE, which the Bible describes as being among the most destructive of all sins-though it's the one that is often the most transparent to us. Ultimately it is our pride that convinces us that we are really not that bad and that we really don't need God after all.
You might ask why God simply won't forgive someone who comes to Him and apologizes sincerely for their sin. When we sin, we are rebelling against God. The reason sin is rebellion against God is because He made us in His image and wrote His laws on our conscience. Revelation 21:17 says that "nothing impure will enter heaven because God is absolutely Holy and righteous and evil cannot exist in His presence." Psalm 5:4 says, "you are not a God who takes pleasure in evil, with you the wicked cannot dwell" In God's absolute and complete holiness He is simply unable to be in the presence of sin and therefore He can't just simply say "That's OK child, you are forgiven just try harder next time" Because he loves us so much and wants to be in fellowship with us but can not if we are in sin (and we all are!) it is easy to see why God developed a hatred for sin. In His hatred of sin God has said "the wages for sin is death" (Romans 6:23) The whole human race is under a death sentence because "all have sinned" (Romans 3:23)
Since our sin condemns us, God, in His great love for us sent His son Jesus to die in our place so that through Jesus we can be forgiven and enter into His presence. "God's own law says that death is the penalty for sin so He cannot simply forgive as "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22) Therefore, to make a way to forgive us, God put the sins of the world on Jesus who shed His blood as though HE were the guilty one. So now, when anyone repents of their sins, God forgives them and accepts Jesus' death as punishment for sin. In this way God has satisfied His own law which says that sin must be punished by death.
To make it possible for us to enter into God's presence Jesus had to die to pay the penalty of death for sin. Jesus' death satisfied God's law and allows Him, as our just Judge, to forgive us when we repent and accept Jesus as our Savior. Some may say that "all paths lead to God", but as can be clearly seen by what I have presented in this post their is only ONE path to God and that path is through Jesus.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Reviewing The Case for a Creator video series
I recently posted 10, 5 minute videos titled "The Case for a Creator" by Lee Strobel. I asked my blog readers to take a "10 day challenge" and watch 1 video for 5 minutes each day for 10 days. For those who have already taken the 10 day challenge I commend you! Whether or not you are already a believer in creationism or subscribe to the theory of evolution, I'm sure that you found Strobel's video series to be thought provoking to say the least. I honestly can not imagine that anyone could walk away from this video series and still believe in evolution. It is simply scientifically impossible and Lee Strobel does a brilliant job in providing the facts for creationism.
If you have not watched the video series I hope you will go back and take the ten day challenge and watch all 10 videos. To recap briefly, Lee Strobel is a former atheist and formal legal editor of the Chicago Tribune. He investigates scientific evidence that points toward a creator. These videos are based on his book of the same name. Mr. Strobel sought out to disprove Christianity many years ago and took a journalistic approach to researching and fact finding. He was certain he could disprove the bible, God, creation and Jesus. Instead he became a believer in all of those things after he simply could not disprove them and instead found the proof that he needed to make that change in his belief system. He has gone on to writing many books and videos. I am drawn to Lee Strobel's work as he approached Christianity in much the same way I did 11 years ago. I too was a journalism major in college and did extensive research as well prior to becoming a follower of Jesus Christ. For more about my personal story please go to the tab "My testimony of faith".
If you watched the Case for a Creator video series, here is a re-cap of SOME of what you learned. If you have yet to watch it, here is a preview of what you will learn about. The framework for this video series follows a logical and well-thought-out progression. Strobel poses the questions hard skeptics ask on such broad topics as: evolution, faith and science, the Big Bang, fine-tuning of the universe, Earth's privileged place in the cosmos, biochemical complexity, the origin of life, DNA and, finally, the mind. He interviews many of the top minds in each of these topics, including many prominent ID personalities, such as Michael Behe, Jonathan Wells, Stpehen Meyer, Jay Richards, Guillermo Gonzalez, and J. P. Moreland. The following topics among others, are thoroughly covered:
EVIDENCE FROM PHYSICS:
1) Life depends on many constants such as gravity-to show how extremely necessary this is, imagine a ruler stretched out in one inch increments all the way back to the center of the universe. To show how fragile life is where we exist in that one inch increment, if it was shifted just one inch back in terms of gravity, life could not exist. All life forms would literally be crushed.
2) Cosmological Constant- the expansion of the universe has a certain spot on the ground that is about the size of an atom. Similarly, the strong exponential rate that if it were to go faster, stars, galaxies and planets could not form. The equivalent to this fine tuning is like throwing a dart at earth from orbit and hitting a spot on the ground that is about the size of an atom. Similarly, the strong nuclear force binds atoms together. If it were to decrease even slightly the only element left in the universe would be hydrogen. Chemical life could not be possible. If the universe is so fine tuned, maybe it has a Fine Tuner.
3) Escape Hatch Fails- the most popular theory to try to circumvent this fine tuning is Multiple Universes which says by chance ours is the one that came into being for us that could sustain life, but then you still have to ask the question who built the generator for all these different universes?
Fact: "The universe is finely tuned to sustain complex life by an intelligence that is beyond the constraints of time and space."
MICROSCOPIC UNIVERSE EVIDENCE:
1. Cells are like complex machines-but with billions of parts. These could not be chance combination of parts, but they are a complex assemblage of parts. e.g. the flagellum cell operates at 100,000 rpm's. It is the most efficient machine in the universe. It has two gears, forward and back. It has sensory mechanisms to gain feedback from its environment. It uses a flow of acid from outside the cell to motor the propeller. It has a water coolant, proton motor, stater, rotor u-joint, drive shaft. Altogether there are 40 parts need to build a flagella motor. And it has constructor proteins that build all these parts.
2. Irreducible Complexity- If you remove just one part of that system, the system ceases to function or exist. Like a mouse trap, if you take out even one of it's parts it will never work.
Charles Darwin admitted the failure of his own theory when he said: "If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not have possibly been formed by numerous, successive slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down."
DAMAGING EVIDENCE FOR ATHEISTS
1) Negative evidence: amino acids are light years away from producing a living cell. Non-living chemicals cannot arrange themselves into a living cell.
2) The erroneous theory of the Cambrian explosion of life about 53 million years ago-in a sudden geological instant equivalent to about 2 minutes in a 24 hour period from the first single-celled organism about 3.8 billion years ago, a great explosion of life occurred accounting for most animal forms and body plans today. (The branching tree pattern of Darwin's theory is not seen anywhere in the fossil record unless we impose it with our own minds)
3) 600 scientists with P.H. D's from major universities have signed a document called "A Scientific Dissent from Darwinism" which says, "We are skeptical of the claims for random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of life. Careful examination for Darwinian Theory should be encouraged."
4) Background microwave radiation-this remnant heat from the universe's early history helps us see the ancient Kalam Cosmological Argument, which says: a)whatever begins has a cause, b)the universe began to exist, therefore, c)the universe has a cause; which points to a transcendent reality beyond space and time.
Purpose of God:
Series of Clues- One of the purposes of God is for us to find Him. He has left behind a series of clues. We have to take our blinders off and take our suppositions and put them aside, and be willing to go where science shows us. And if we come to what might be an uncomfortable position.....the fact that there IS a Creator, then that is the way we should go and maybe it would not feel so uncomfortable after a while.
It is my belief in studying these videos that atheism and agnosticism would be a dwindling faith if people would take the time to examine the FACTS. I feel that quite frankly it takes more FAITH to be an atheist or agnostic than it does to be a believer in a Creator. Former atheist Lee Strobel found this to be true as well as all of the experts that were interviewed for these videos.
If you are reading this then you must be interested in the topic of intelligent design. Why not take 50 minutes out of your life and watch the 10 5 minute video clips I have posted on The Case for a Creator. You will be glad you did. I welcome your comments below and I thank you for reading Living a Spirit filled life.
If you have not watched the video series I hope you will go back and take the ten day challenge and watch all 10 videos. To recap briefly, Lee Strobel is a former atheist and formal legal editor of the Chicago Tribune. He investigates scientific evidence that points toward a creator. These videos are based on his book of the same name. Mr. Strobel sought out to disprove Christianity many years ago and took a journalistic approach to researching and fact finding. He was certain he could disprove the bible, God, creation and Jesus. Instead he became a believer in all of those things after he simply could not disprove them and instead found the proof that he needed to make that change in his belief system. He has gone on to writing many books and videos. I am drawn to Lee Strobel's work as he approached Christianity in much the same way I did 11 years ago. I too was a journalism major in college and did extensive research as well prior to becoming a follower of Jesus Christ. For more about my personal story please go to the tab "My testimony of faith".
If you watched the Case for a Creator video series, here is a re-cap of SOME of what you learned. If you have yet to watch it, here is a preview of what you will learn about. The framework for this video series follows a logical and well-thought-out progression. Strobel poses the questions hard skeptics ask on such broad topics as: evolution, faith and science, the Big Bang, fine-tuning of the universe, Earth's privileged place in the cosmos, biochemical complexity, the origin of life, DNA and, finally, the mind. He interviews many of the top minds in each of these topics, including many prominent ID personalities, such as Michael Behe, Jonathan Wells, Stpehen Meyer, Jay Richards, Guillermo Gonzalez, and J. P. Moreland. The following topics among others, are thoroughly covered:
EVIDENCE FROM PHYSICS:
1) Life depends on many constants such as gravity-to show how extremely necessary this is, imagine a ruler stretched out in one inch increments all the way back to the center of the universe. To show how fragile life is where we exist in that one inch increment, if it was shifted just one inch back in terms of gravity, life could not exist. All life forms would literally be crushed.
2) Cosmological Constant- the expansion of the universe has a certain spot on the ground that is about the size of an atom. Similarly, the strong exponential rate that if it were to go faster, stars, galaxies and planets could not form. The equivalent to this fine tuning is like throwing a dart at earth from orbit and hitting a spot on the ground that is about the size of an atom. Similarly, the strong nuclear force binds atoms together. If it were to decrease even slightly the only element left in the universe would be hydrogen. Chemical life could not be possible. If the universe is so fine tuned, maybe it has a Fine Tuner.
3) Escape Hatch Fails- the most popular theory to try to circumvent this fine tuning is Multiple Universes which says by chance ours is the one that came into being for us that could sustain life, but then you still have to ask the question who built the generator for all these different universes?
Fact: "The universe is finely tuned to sustain complex life by an intelligence that is beyond the constraints of time and space."
MICROSCOPIC UNIVERSE EVIDENCE:
1. Cells are like complex machines-but with billions of parts. These could not be chance combination of parts, but they are a complex assemblage of parts. e.g. the flagellum cell operates at 100,000 rpm's. It is the most efficient machine in the universe. It has two gears, forward and back. It has sensory mechanisms to gain feedback from its environment. It uses a flow of acid from outside the cell to motor the propeller. It has a water coolant, proton motor, stater, rotor u-joint, drive shaft. Altogether there are 40 parts need to build a flagella motor. And it has constructor proteins that build all these parts.
2. Irreducible Complexity- If you remove just one part of that system, the system ceases to function or exist. Like a mouse trap, if you take out even one of it's parts it will never work.
Charles Darwin admitted the failure of his own theory when he said: "If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not have possibly been formed by numerous, successive slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down."
DAMAGING EVIDENCE FOR ATHEISTS
1) Negative evidence: amino acids are light years away from producing a living cell. Non-living chemicals cannot arrange themselves into a living cell.
2) The erroneous theory of the Cambrian explosion of life about 53 million years ago-in a sudden geological instant equivalent to about 2 minutes in a 24 hour period from the first single-celled organism about 3.8 billion years ago, a great explosion of life occurred accounting for most animal forms and body plans today. (The branching tree pattern of Darwin's theory is not seen anywhere in the fossil record unless we impose it with our own minds)
3) 600 scientists with P.H. D's from major universities have signed a document called "A Scientific Dissent from Darwinism" which says, "We are skeptical of the claims for random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of life. Careful examination for Darwinian Theory should be encouraged."
4) Background microwave radiation-this remnant heat from the universe's early history helps us see the ancient Kalam Cosmological Argument, which says: a)whatever begins has a cause, b)the universe began to exist, therefore, c)the universe has a cause; which points to a transcendent reality beyond space and time.
Purpose of God:
Series of Clues- One of the purposes of God is for us to find Him. He has left behind a series of clues. We have to take our blinders off and take our suppositions and put them aside, and be willing to go where science shows us. And if we come to what might be an uncomfortable position.....the fact that there IS a Creator, then that is the way we should go and maybe it would not feel so uncomfortable after a while.
It is my belief in studying these videos that atheism and agnosticism would be a dwindling faith if people would take the time to examine the FACTS. I feel that quite frankly it takes more FAITH to be an atheist or agnostic than it does to be a believer in a Creator. Former atheist Lee Strobel found this to be true as well as all of the experts that were interviewed for these videos.
If you are reading this then you must be interested in the topic of intelligent design. Why not take 50 minutes out of your life and watch the 10 5 minute video clips I have posted on The Case for a Creator. You will be glad you did. I welcome your comments below and I thank you for reading Living a Spirit filled life.
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