Did Jesus Have to Die?

I am a sinner. That fact I cannot deny. As a sinner I have broken God’s law. Now that Law, according to some, demands my death and the only way out for me is for someone else to die in my place – to pay the penalty for my crime. Because all mankind are in the same boat they must die for their own sin. The only way out for me is to find an innocent person, that is, without sin, to die in my place and that someone is Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God. As I understand it, that is orthodox Christianity and the view commonly held among Seventh-day Adventists.

This view raises some troubling questions:

• Is justice, that is, the demands of the Law, served if an innocent pays the debt of the guilty? Is there any civilised culture that would condone such a practice?
• How is justice served if the innocent goes free and another suffers the penalty?
• Does granting mercy to the guilty negate the demands of the Law? Does granting mercy in our legal systems today weaken the intent of the law or should we demand the full force of the law is applied without mercy to transgressors? or
• Is it only legalism that demands the sentence be meted out without mercy?

Biblical Christianity is built on love. ‘Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. ⁸ But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love’ (1 John 4:7,8). This raises another question: Can a loving God not forgive without first extracting a penalty? Or is the following only true if certain prerequisites are met?

 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Cor 13:4-8).

Computers may do everything we expect of them, but they cannot love, for they only do what they are programmed to do. Love requires freedom of thought and action, when I know that my choices will impact on others either positively or negatively. When God chose to create us in His image and likeness He chose to create a community that would reflect His love to one another. In order to achieve this He took the risk that we would make the wrong choices and consequently harm one another.

Actions have consequences. As Scripture says, we reap what we sow (Gal 6:7). If every time a drunk drove through a red light, a criminal fired a gun, we smoked a cigarette or had casual unprotected sex with a stranger God intervened to prevent the unwanted consequences would we know what love is? Or would we remain as infants, wrapped up in cotton wool, without ever knowing adult responsibility and the satisfaction that comes with putting ourselves out for others? In allowing us to see and experience the consequences of our choices and that of others God treats us as adults. It is only as adults that we experience mature love.

The common law of negligence is based on this principle. We are expected to give reasonable thought to the impact our actions may have on others and take the necessary steps prevent harm. Negligence can be attributed to things that we do, or things that we fail to do, that result in injury to someone else. We find examples in the Bible.

When you build a new house, you must build a railing around the edge of its flat roof. That way you will not be considered guilty of murder if someone falls from the roof. (Deut. 22:8)

If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its flesh may not be eaten. In such a case, however, the owner will not be held liable. 29 But suppose the ox had a reputation for goring, and the owner had been informed but failed to keep it under control. If the ox then kills someone, it must be stoned, and the owner must also be put to death ... Suppose someone digs or uncovers a pit and fails to cover it, and then an ox or a donkey falls into it. 34 The owner of the pit must pay full compensation to the owner of the animal, but then he gets to keep the dead animal. (Ex. 21:28,29,33,34)

Jesus had an active role in creation (John 1:3,4; Col. 1:15-17; Heb 1:2). God claims the ability to foretell the future sets Him apart from all others (Isa. 46:10). Paul, in Ephesians 1:3-14, tells us God had a plan before the world began for our salvation. Does this mean God was negligent when He created the world, knowing that it would turn out the way it did?

Risk and reward is part of everyday life. Some people take few risks and gain little. Great advances in human achievement have involved varying levels of risk. Think of the risks taken to put a man on the moon, by the great explorers of the past, of our early aviators and modern day adventures. Human beings, made in God’s image, take risks. In the parable of the talents it was those who took the investment risk that heard the words ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant’ (Mat. 25:21, 23) while the risk averse servant ultimately lost everything (Mat.25: 14-30). The writer of Hebrews states Jesus ‘endured the cross’ because He looked to what lay beyond it (Heb. 12:2). God knew from the beginning that to create a community built on the foundation of love involved enormous risk but there was no other way to achieve His aim. This was not negligence, for if the risk was not taken nothing worthwhile could be achieved. And God, in the person of Jesus Christ, was prepared to do whatever it took, regardless of the cost to Himself, to right things when they went wrong.

Regarding the Law and the Prophets, Jesus said 'I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them’ (Mat.5:17, NIV). This no doubt includes the fulfilment of prophecy, but it also includes the living out of the moral law of God, such as not killing, stealing, lying of committing adultery.  ^‘Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfils the requirements of God’s law’ (Rom. 13:10). Jesus, in one of His disputes with the Jewish leaders asked: ‘Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin?’ (John 8:46).

Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, touched the untouchable, mingled with the social outcasts, and challenged the hypocrisy, abuse of power and corruption of the ruling class, which just happened to be the religious hierarchy of His day. Their response was to kill Him. Jesus could have opted out. Remember His words at His arrest: ‘Do you not think that I can pray to My Father? At once He would send Me more than 70,000 angels’ (Mat. 26:53). But love compelled Him and the only sinless human being who has ever walked this planet was sent to His death. When Adam was tempted, Adam failed. Jesus endured a greater temptation and refused to yield, choosing the humiliation, suffering and shame of the cross rather than transgress the Law of Love. He demonstrated that our failures – and that of Adam – are without excuse.

The Crucifixion, Andrew Mantegna, 1457-1459
http://christimages.org/images_crucifixion/Crucifixion_Andrea_Mantegna_1457.jpg

Now think about that. Our life is intimately linked to that of Jesus. Paul says:

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. (Col. 3:1-4)

And in Acts 17:25,28 ‘… He himself gives life and breath to everything … For in him we live and move and exist.’ Paul says of God ‘He alone can never die …’ (1 Tim 6:16). We have no life apart from Christ. At the Creation God ‘… breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.’(Gen 2:7). When that breath departs we cease to exist.

God alone is immortal. We are totally dependent upon the Creator for our continued existence. When we, as human beings, nailed Jesus to the cross we committed communal suicide. We reaped the wages of our sin (Rom. 6:23) and demonstrated to the onlooking universe sin’s ultimate destructiveness.

Sin was a foreseeable consequence of Jesus’ act of creation. Unlike humans, who often look to shift the blame to someone else when things go wrong, Jesus accepted full responsibility for righting the mess that eventuated. Jesus died demonstrating to the universe that there was no excuse for Adam’s failure. His death was the natural consequence of sin, of Adam’s failure, a foreseeable consequence of His act of creation.

In His humanity Jesus was mortal, in His divinity, immortal. ‘No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.’ (John 10:18). The grave would not, could not, hold Him. He rose victorious, defeating sin and its consequences. Today, as humans always have, we can choose life or death, for we have the God-given gift of free will. If we hold to the doctrine of free will we must accept that Jesus did not have to die at human hands. The world could have turned to God in repentance and refused to kill Him. Like Adam, those that sent Jesus to His death choose to do so of their own free will. They chose death.

When Jesus rose from the grave He rose, as He always was, our life. When we choose to unite our lives with His, we choose eternal life. When we choose not to unite with Him, we choose death. The choice is yours, and the choice is mine. What is your choice?

All Bible quotes taken from the New Living Translation unless otherwise indicated.

NIV – New International Version

Can Perfect be Imperfect?

MercyMe sing the beautiful song ‘I can only imagine’. What will it be like, they question, when we walk at Jesus side? Will we dance before Him, fall at His feet, sing His praises or be unable to speak at all? While we have some insight into what heaven may be like we are largely left to imagine.

Christians believe that heaven will be perfect. But what does that mean?  Revelation 21:1 points to ‘a new heaven and a new earth.’ How different will that be to what we now know? Does perfect, as we understand it, mean that we have arrived, never again to make a mistake, having perfect knowledge and wisdom, or will our ‘perfect’ be less than ‘perfect’?

If the ‘new earth’ is Eden restored, as I believe it will be, it is appropriate to reflect on the original creation before Adam and Eve rebelled as being an expression of God’s idea of perfection. Starting from that point we can draw some conclusions.

Humans, both male and female, were created in God’s ‘image’ in order to be ‘like’ Him (the text says ‘like us’, implying a plurality) (‘Gen. 1: 26). We were created intelligent beings with the ability to think, question, reason, learn and acquire knowledge. Who knows the limits of our intellectual capacity?

Thomas Edison once said, ‘I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.’ It was through trial and error that Edison progressed, that knowledge is gained.

Today we can fly from Sydney to London in around 24 hours but that has not been the case for most of human history. It was on 17 December 1903 that Orville Wright made mankind's first powered flight with a distance of 37 meters at a speed just over 10 kph.  

Orville Wright makes the first powered flight in history
Image from: http://aviationhistory.info/Wright-photos.html

This flight was not made in isolation of the efforts of others. Someone else had developed the internal combustion engine necessary for powered flight. And while they may not have realised it themselves the pioneering work of Australian Lawrence Hargrave with his box kites contributed to their success. The ability to work with others and to learn from them is consistent with the idea of community and service to others clearly taught in the Bible. This is how God intended us to grow in knowledge at the beginning and therefore it is logical to conclude that this will be inherent in Eden restored.

If we will have the capacity as we now do to learn more, to pursue new ways of doing things, and to improve then obviously there must be knowledge gaps. And if we don’t know everything there will remain the likelihood that we will not properly understand what we believe we already know. So, if our knowledge and understanding remain incomplete we cannot claim perfect knowledge - we will in this way be imperfect.

The Scripture affirms ‘God is love …’ (1 John 4:16), that ‘love fulfils the … law’ (Romans 13:10) and that ‘We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us’ and so gave us an example that we should follow (1 John 3:16). We can live our lives without committing adultery, stealing, worshiping idols and we can go around doing good deeds. But that does not mean that we are like God. While these things may be consistent with love, they do not mean that we love. We were created in the image of God to love as God loves. That love was lived out in the life of Jesus who ‘came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many’ (Matthew 20:28). Love is demonstrated in a commitment to live one’s life in the service of others, to put their needs and interests before our own, to ‘submit to one another out of reverence for Christ’ (Ephesians 5:21). While this may be an ideal that we do not live up to in this life no matter how hard we may try it will be the way we live when God’s image is fully restored in us.

Love in a Biblical sense is both active and a matter of choice. I either choose to do that which contributes to the greater good or I choose to pursue my own self-interest.

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

Trust is essential to successful relationships. Spouses cannot follow their partners everywhere and so rely on the other half remaining faithful when they are apart. Business leaders cannot know all there is to know to run a successful business. They rely on trusted advisors to provide the information and expertise they lack. Marriages, business and other relationships often fall apart following serious breaches of trust.

It was in the area of trust and choice that Adam and Eve failed. God had said they could eat the fruit of any tree in the garden except one. God had knowledge of things they lacked. Adam and Eve were placed on the earth to rule over it as God’s representatives. When they disobeyed God they effectively put their trust in God’s enemy. It was an act of betrayal.

Furthermore, rather than being prepared to accept responsibility for their own behaviour they sought to shift the blame to someone else. Adam said ‘It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it’ (Gen. 3:12). In other words ‘If you had not given me this woman God, I wouldn’t have eaten it. It’s your fault.’ Eve, in turn, tried to shift the blame to the serpent. ‘The serpent deceived me … That’s why I ate it’ (Gen 3:13). Love does not blame others for one’s own mistakes. Rather it accepts that responsibility at whatever cost to self. In His wisdom God knew the only way they could learn was to suffer the consequences of their failure.

God has not walked away from the human race. Rather, at the moment of humanity’s failure He set in train his rescue plan. God knew that love can only exist when we have the freedom not to love. God, who ‘is love, created an environment in which love could flourish, but this act was not without risk. In Calvary we see God in the person of Jesus Christ accepting responsibility for His creation by paying the penalty for our sin.

Calvary is God’s assurance that one day we will experience Eden restored. While this does not necessarily mean a literal restoration of the Garden of Eden it does mean that God’s original intent that humankind live in an environment of love will be restored.

I see a real difference between things done deliberately or knowingly to hurt others and mistakes in judgement that in themselves are of no moral consequence. The exploitation of others, coercion, deceptive behaviour and acts of violence hurt people, destroy trust and breakdown community. This is sin and the sort of behaviour that will not occur in the new earth.

But what of having to work on our relationships? Is it possible that love will grow in the new earth? It takes time in this world to grow relationships. Two people can love each other and be committed to the maintenance of their relationship. However, they don’t understand each other perfectly and will at time do things unintentionally that irritate the other. These things don’t destroy the relationship. Rather, as they learn from them their relationship grows stronger.

This, I believe, will be the situation in the life to come. It will be a different world because we will be committed to the greater good, each one seeking the welfare of others. There will be no undermining, no seeking to get ahead at the expense of someone else. Our relationships will be grace based. As such, we will have a trusting and supporting environment in which we will be free to fail, to say sorry, to accept forgiveness, and grow towards fulfilling our God-given potential. It is in this sort of environment that I believe love will grow and flourish.

We will have things to learn – both of the universe in which we live and of how to improve relationships. In that sense, we will be imperfect. But we will live in a community built on a foundation of grace. It will be the perfect environment in which to learn and grow – to be fully human.

All quotes from the New Living Translation

The Healing Touch

Grace Warren knew how to get things through customs without ever being searched, which came in handy when she wanted to smuggle drugs into countries where it was illegal to do so. For Doctor Warren worked many years with the Leprosy Mission. And she knew that all she had to do was prominently display ‘Leprosy Mission’ on her bags and customs workers the world over would simply wave her through. The story of this remarkable Australian is told in her autobiography ‘Doctor Number 49’. Such is the fear that leprosy has for many even today.

In the time of Jesus lepers were treated as social outcasts. They were forced to move away from family and friends and live apart from the community. As they moved around they were required to call out ‘unclean, unclean’. While leprosy in the Bible refers to a range of infectious skin conditions, not simply the condition we know today, we can only imagine the psychological pain that must have been associated with this debilitating disease.

One, if not the most, emotionally challenging times I have lived through is the breakup of my first marriage. Divorce was unheard of in my family at the time – although I have since heard the story of how one of my great grandmothers did a runner with the bloke next door – and I had this strongly held belief that marriage was for life. Marriage breakup carried guilt, shame, and a great sense of failure. It was something I did not want to talk about or acknowledge to anyone.

I remember clearly this one day reasonably early in the experience when I went to a function at the Ferntree Gully public school where my eldest daughter was enrolled. I felt as if I had a large ‘D’ indelibly burnt into my forehead and that everyone was staring at me. Now this was an irrational belief as we had not lived in the area for all that long and I probably didn’t know anyone at the school. But knowing the facts did not help the emotional pain. Here I was, an abject failure, a social outcast.

Perhaps it is for that reason that I find the story in Matthew 8:1-4 of Jesus’ healing a leper so compelling. The Bible tells how this man came and knelt at Jesus’ feet and implored Him ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean’. Matthew records that ‘Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.’

 As I reflect on that story I can’t help feeling that the touch meant more to that man than anything else. Imagine being in his position. I can imagine as he walked slowly and painfully down the road crying out ‘unclean, unclean’ mothers hurriedly clutching their little ones and steering them clear of this fearsome and horrible sight. A man who lived daily with rejection, who had for a long time not felt another’s touch.

There is something affirming in the gentle touch of another. It conveys friendship, love, acceptance. We tend to take these things for granted until they are taken from us. As my marriage fell apart I was hurting and confused, not knowing how I could face up to the truth with family and friends. As it was, I found as my dark secret became known I was surrounded by people who stood by me, who cared – in both the air force and church communities that I belonged to at the time.

While that dark time in my life has long since passed I find myself often returning to Matthew’s story. Just as it did back then it affirms my value as a human being and helps me accept myself with all my failings and mistakes. And the better I can accept myself, the easier it is for me to accept the failings of others.

You’re Wrong Richard: The Vision is Universal

Richard Dawkins, in ‘The God Delusion’, states in essence that the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is predominantly focused on Jews and their interests. Two quotes:

‘Christians seldom realize that much of the moral consideration for others that is apparently promoted by both the Old and New Testaments was originally intended to apply only to a narrowly-defined in-group. ‘Love thy neighbour’ didn’t mean what we now think it means. It meant only ‘Love another Jew’… (p.287).

‘It was Paul who invented the idea of taking the Jewish God to the Gentiles.’ (p.292) In the same place he quotes a John Hartung who said ‘Jesus would have turned over in his grave if he had known that Paul was taking his plan to the pigs’ – an obvious reference to non-Jews.

So how do these claims stack up?

First, some references from the Old Testament.

·         After the Biblical Flood God said ‘9 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth.11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” (Genesis 9) Note the universal scope – all of humanity (the descendants of Noah), and every living creature.

·         All nations would be blessed through Abraham and his seed (descendants) (Genesis 18:18; 22:18; 26:4).

·         ‘All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.’ (Psalm 86:9)

·         ‘19 “I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations—to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations. 20 And they will bring all your people, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord …’ (Isaiah 66)

·         ‘At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the Lord, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the Lord.’ (Jeremiah 3:17).

Clearly the vision of the Old Testament extends beyond the borders of Israel to all nations. What of the new?

·         In Matthew 2 ‘Magi from the east came to Jerusalem to … worship’ the infant Jesus (v. 1, 2).

·         Matthew records in chapter 8:5-13 that a Roman centurion came to Jesus to ask Him to heal his sick servant. When Jesus offered to go to the centurion’s house the officer replied that that was unnecessary. As a soldier he understood orders and all that Jesus had to do was give the command and his servant would be healed. Jesus was amazed at the Gentile’s faith, for He had seen nothing like this in Israel. He then said “I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

·         In John 4:26 Jesus claims for the first time in His ministry that He is the promised Messiah. He declares this to a Samaritan woman. There was no-one the Jews hated more than Samaritans

·         The last recorded words of Jesus in Matthew’s gospel command His disciples to ‘make disciples of all nations’ (v.19). Earlier Jesus had said ‘… this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come’. (Matthew 24:14.

·         Revelation, the last book of the Bible, was written by the disciple John. In Chapter 14:6 we have the image of ‘another angel flying in mid-air, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth – to every nation, tribe, language and people’. ‘Gospel’ means ‘good news’.

Without any reference to Paul I have demonstrated that the New Testament clearly saw the mission of Jesus and His disciples to take ‘the Jewish God to the Gentiles’.

One last comment on Dawkins’ assertion that the original application of ‘Love thy neighbor’ meant ‘Love another Jew’. This command is found in Luke 10:27 – Luke himself being a Gentile who wrote his account for another Gentile, Theophilus (Luke 1:3). To put this in context, a Jewish ‘expert in the law’ asked Jesus what he must do ‘to inherit eternal life’. Jesus responded with a question, ‘What is written in the Law … How do you read it?’

The expert replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart … soul … strength and … mind, and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ When the man wanted to know who his neighbor was Jesus responded with the parable of the Good Samaritan. Look it up in Luke 10:25-37. In contrast to the heartless and uncaring attitude of the priest and the Levite who hurry past a man left to die on the side of the road a despised Samaritan stops, tends the man’s wounds, transports him to an inn and pays for his care. It is this despised Samaritan that Jesus holds up as an example of one who loved his neighbor. Hardly the story Jesus would tell if He only had ‘a narrowly-defined in-group’ mentality.

So, Dawkins has either:

•  relied on poor quality secondary sources other than the primary one; or
• deliberately chosen sources to support a pre-conceived idea, thus acting dishonestly.

Either way, he demonstrates poor scholarship and therefore lacks academic credibility in his assertions that it was Paul who came up with the idea of ‘taking the Jewish God to the Gentiles’.

Bible references from the New International Version.

Origin Options

Option 1

Now God had been around for an awful long time – forever in fact. And God was surrounded by a whole lot of nothing. One day God said to himself – or herself, or itself – ‘I’m sick and tired of all this nothing. I think I’ll make something’. So God thought for a few more eons of time and finally said, ‘Let there be a universe’, and bang, there it was.

Option 2

Now Nothing had been around for an awful long time – forever in fact. And one day Nothing said to itself ‘I’m tired of being nothing, I think I’ll make something of myself.’ So Nothing thought for a few more eons of time – not that nothing had anything to think with – and finally said, ‘I’ll make myself into a universe’, and bang, there it was.

Option 3

Well that’s it folks. It’s either option 1 or 2. Both unprovable. Both untestable by any scientific process. Both sound illogical and irrational. Unless you’re into some sort of philosophy that says the universe has been around forever. But contemporary science says that it had a beginning. And if it has always been here the question then is – ‘How did it get here?’

National Atheists’ Day

In the early 1990's my job required a lot of travelling around Victoria. To pass the time I started listening to audio books, especially autobiographies, histories and the like. I found personal stories where people spoke of their own life history and experiences particularly interesting.

As a Christian I found the stories of atheists particularly interesting and challenging. While I cannot recall the names of those I listened to there was a common theme running through all of these. They had been raised in Christian homes and still adhered to what I see as Christian values. Yet they rejected the religion of their youth. Why?

The answer was simple. Rules and rituals seemed meaningless and restrictive. Difficult questions were met with simplistic and unsatisfactory answers – well, you just have to believe, don’t question God, because that’s the way it is, etc. Little wonder so many atheists today accuse Christians of accepting faith blindly, of not thinking for themselves, of being brainwashed.

Recently I saw a bumper sticker proclaiming ‘National Atheists’ Day – April 1’ with the words ‘The fool says in his heart “There is no God”’ (Psalm 14:1) beneath it in smaller print. My response to that was quite negative and left me questioning the mentality of the driver or whoever had placed it there in the first place. This negativity is reinforced when I see some of the comments placed on line by Christians in response to comments made by atheists challenging religion. Anyone who trades in insults and personal abuse rather than debate around the issue has, in my mind, lost the argument. It simply reflects a lazy intellect and, from a Christian perspective, insults God.

If, as the Bible says, God created humans in His ‘image and likeness’ He created us with brains. Many books have been written about the capacity of the brain and how little of it we use. The ability to question, reason, hypothesize, test and reach conclusions seems to be a purely human attribute. If He didn't want us to use it why did He give it to us in the first place? Can we honour God if we don’t use it?

There will always be gaps in human knowledge. In fact, the more we know the more we realise we don’t know. We will never know all there is to know, so we shouldn't feel threatened when asked questions we cannot answer. Questions we can’t answer give us the opportunity to explore further, to grow mentally. While I reject the notion of blind faith, believing that Christianity can stand up to intellectual interrogation, the nature of faith is that we will never have all the answers. Tough questions can be asked of Christianity and the Bible but the inability to answer fully or partially some of these does not take away what I see as its basic integrity.

As I see it many atheists are seekers for truth. They possess an honest integrity that looks for a reasonable explanation for the world in which they live and are repulsed by some of the things done in the name of religion. Many make outstanding contributions to the advancement of human welfare and look for answers to the problems facing the world.

Attitudes such as that expressed in the bumper sticker proclaiming ‘National Atheists Day’ do nothing to advance Christianity and can only help confirm in the minds of atheists an anti-intellectual view of religion. When it comes to discourse with those who disagree with us, all I can say to my fellow believers is ‘Use your God given brain”. You might learn something.

The Racket

If you have uncontested control of the market you can get away with anything – even murder. And they did. The racket they had went something like this.

Jerusalem was the centre of worship and home to the Temple. This was the only place the people could present their sacrifices to God as prescribed by the Law. On special occasions, such as Passover, the city would be teeming with pilgrims wanting to fulfil their religious obligations. What an opportunity for corruption.

First, the animals presented for sacrifice had to be without blemish, so the priests implemented a stringent quality control program. And when the animal was rejected there was a ready supply of ‘quality approved’ replacements at a premium price. Why would you want to risk sourcing another animal from the local, albeit significantly cheaper, market when there was no guarantee as to its ‘quality?’

Then there were the money changers. The Jews were required to pay half a shekel temple tax annually and, in addition, many would make free will offerings. Of course it would be inappropriate to allow foreign coins into the temple, especially if they bore the symbols of paganism. So the priests arranged for money changers to exchange this ‘unholy’ currency for that deemed acceptable to the Lord. And as it was only proper that the currency changers be compensated for this service a commission was charged – one that could be quite generous.

All this took place within the Temple precinct and, as such, was under the control of the priests. They authorised who could and could not trade in the area. Therefore it did not matter to them if the prices for the goods and the commissions charged were exorbitant as they made sure they got their cut.

One day, at the busiest and most profitable time of the year, a dangerous rabble rouser appeared on the scene. He made a whip, drove out the animal traders and overturned the tables of the money changers. Not that this was the first time that He had come to their attention. He had clashed with them before, challenging their interpretation of the Law. But this was a direct challenge to their authority. And so they planned to get rid of Him.

We remember this rebel in a special way on Good Friday. Jesus sought to free people from the burden of religiosity, of meaningless ritual, and religious practices that made human beings subservient to legalistic interpretation of the Scriptures. That which had been meant to instruct, enlighten and safeguard humanity had been hijacked to enslave and oppress. Jesus strongest words were aimed at the corrupt priesthood who used their positions of power and influence to further their own interest.

History often repeats itself and Christianity is no exception. The Church that claims to represent Jesus Christ has too often been marked by corruption, the imposition of man-made rules and interpretations that distort the true meaning of the Bible, the abuse of power and persecution of those that speak out against these practices. And if anyone takes the time to read carefully both what Jesus and the New Testament writes say they will find that this outcome was anticipated.

Too many people reject Jesus Christ because of the Church. I choose to stick with Jesus because I believe He offers real hope and His words point the way to a better future. The Church, including my own denomination, has too often betrayed the one it is meant to serve and therefore humanity itself. But those that have truly learnt to trust Jesus, and be guided by their understanding of His teachings without mindless adherence to the teachings of any ‘church’, will never be betrayed by the One whom we remember on Good Friday.

You can read the story in Mark 11.

Rahab Dared to Believe

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

If God is Not

Atheism, as I understand it at this point in time, would have us believe there is no god, that religion is an invention of the human mind - designed to control, anti-rational, inhibiting, and harmful. It rejects the supernatural and demands that all argument must be purely rationale, based on that which is known or can be understood in terms of the natural world. Only as the world is freed from the shackles of religious dogma it argues can we hope to build a better future for our children.

Let’s be honest. Religion has not delivered us an ideal world. Too many wars and atrocities have been perpetrated in the name of the different world deities, including the Christian god. One does not need to think long before finding examples of the Church standing in the way of progress. So at face value atheists may have a point.

Attitudes and values are shaped by beliefs. Science is based on the belief that through observation, testing, and experimentation we can discover laws that shape the word in which we live and that provide a framework in which we can plan and make decisions with certainty. It is this belief that has enabled us to develop our modern society with its engineering, medical and other achievements. What would be the point of building a bridge, administering a drug, or stepping into an aeroplane if there was no guarantee that these things would behave as predicted with a high degree of reliability?

Some time ago I watched with interest a debate between Cardinal George Pell and Professor Richard Dawkins. When Pell raised the issue of ‘meaning’ Dawkins refused to go down that path. Why? Because, when you think about it, an atheist cannot talk about the meaning of life because his or her belief structure cannot provide a sound, rationale foundation on which to debate the issue. Allow me to expand.

Athiests look to the evolutionary model to explain our origins. We exist as the result of blind, random processes that have over time allowed the conditions to exist that have led to life as we know it. The atheist cannot attribute any meaning or purpose to this process for these belong to the mind. To acknowledge meaning and purpose in that which has led to our existence is to admit to the existence of a grand mind. If this mind is admitted to then it is reasonable to consider who or what that mind may be.

According to the evolutionary model it all began with a big bang some 13 or 14 billion years ago. Life on our planet emerged around 3.5 billion years ago.  Apes, from which we are said to evolve, appeared around 2.5 million years ago while modern humans arrived on the scene some 200,000 years ago. Which means we are a rather recent arrival on the universal timeline.

Among the laws that frame our existence are those of thermodynamics. These tell us that there is a finite amount of energy in the universe. It cannot be created, so we only have what already exists. The time will come when all available energy will be exhausted. At this point in time there will be a constant temperature across the universe. These laws include what can be termed the law of decay – order gives way to chaos, any system left to itself will run down.

What this means that our existence is limited. Long before all energy is used up life as we know it will cease to exist. Our sun is burning itself out and even if it were possible to transport ourselves to another suitable solar system our existence there would also be limited.

Within the cosmic timeline our existence is but a blimp, a fleeting, meaningless moment in time. So much for environmental – or any other – sustainability. At the best we can only extend our existence momentarily.

Within this construct we can have no meaning, no purpose, and no real hope. But, you may argue, I can give my life meaning and purpose. That may be to heal, to bring enjoyment to others in music, to serve, to provide employment for others, or to simply have fun. While you may find meaning in these things the meaning you give is an artificial construction with as little meaningful substance as an inflated balloon. Life built on a meaningless foundation can be likened to a house built on the beach. Without solid foundations it can be swept away at any time.

The same is true of morality. We can argue that it is wrong to kill, that we should be compassionate, care for the earth, and distribute wealth evenly. Why? I can argue our species evolved because it was the best adapted to do so. It is the strong – the best adapted – that survived and passed their genes on to future generations. The weak, those unsuited to survival, became extinct. Why would I want to change that process? I now live in an overpopulated world where people compete for finite resources. Would it not be better if we left the starving millions in Africa to die out, to drown asylum seekers, and to accumulate as much of the available resources as we can so that our future and that of our children is assured? Why should we be held back by those that are only a burden on the rest of us, an impediment to our advancement? While you may feel this view is repulsive any contrary view is, after all, one that has no real substance as there is no objective basis for that conclusion. For, without meaning, there is no basis for morality.

As I observe the world around me it seems that we are seeing the breakdown of society. We have an increasing problem with alcohol abuse among the young, there is a growing gap between the haves and the have nots, and many live simply for the moment. Youth suicide is a real concern. Why?

Is it because people in a world that has rejected belief in God now live in a moral and ethical vacuum? Have we attempted to replace God with political correctness, simply another form of control that has at its foundation the views of a vocal minority? Without God and belief in an authoritative source, without a grand overarching shared story that frames a shared world view are we simply adrift in a moral abyss? Accepting without question the godless world view that is pushed at us through the media, our education systems and other sources have we accepted that life is ultimately meaningless and that there is no hope for the future?

What do you think?

Our Hope, God's Passion?

Hope is the expectation that something desired will be attained. A young man hoping to play test cricket will take every opportunity to hone his cricketing skills, making this his main priority. Other things will be sacrificed in order to give him the best opportunity of achieving his goal. Hope for a better life may motivate those living with poverty and oppression to seek refuge in a foreign land, regardless of the danger and hardship faced in the journey. The promise of Christ’s return and the earth made new is God’s offer of hope for the world. Our understanding of this hope will largely determine the nature of our mission.

While the poor, oppressed and marginalised may hope for something better, what of those who “are rich and increased in goods?” (Rev. 3:17, KJV[1]). Is the hope of seeing Jesus face to face and of being reunited with loved ones a simply added value to their already comfortable existence? While these things are promised, they are a consequence, not the substance, of the Kingdom.

Both the rich man and Lazarus the beggar lived with hope. At death Lazarus was carried to Abraham’s side. The rich man’s hope, however, was unrealised. At death, he was buried in hell. In life he had failed to heed the instruction of “Moses and the Prophets,” or, as we describe it, the Old Testament[2].

A Biblical hope is founded in the reality of God and is promised to those who earnestly desire to be like Him. The psalmist declares “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne” (Ps 89:14, 97:2). A righteous God loves justice (Ps 99:4). He delights in “kindness, justice and righteousness” (Jer. 9:24), attributes He looks for in His people. It is the “just” He loves, and the righteous who “will inherit the land” (Ps 37:28,32). Good is promised to those who conduct their affairs justly and generously (Ps 112:5).

God “defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing” (Deut. 10:18). “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern” (Prov. 29:7). This is more than charity. Christianity, and Christians, must challenge the social and political structures that disregard the rights of the poor and oppressed, entrench poverty, and favor the rich and powerful. “Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow” (Is.1:17).

Mozambique, one of the world’s cheapest sugar producers, finds it difficult to compete on the global market. The European Union, one of the most expensive producers, has around forty percent of the market. Subsidies to farmers in rich countries coupled with tariff barriers cost developing countries double what they receive in aid[3]. Some multi-national corporations minimise production costs through the exploitation of third world labor. Wages are insufficient to provide the basic necessities of life, health and safety standards ignored, and individuals who agitate for better pay and conditions may be imprisoned[4] [5]. Global corporations erode the power of democratically elected governments[6]. International trade agreements under the auspices of the Word Trade Organisation (WTO) are legally binding on countries. Local laws to protect health, safety and the environment can be overturned on appeal to the WTO. For example, European restrictions on the import of American and Canadian beef owing to high hormone levels were ruled to be an unfair barrier to trade[7].

Our understanding of justice as Christians must be founded in the Bible, not the laws of the land. The prophet Isaiah declares woe on those “who make unjust laws” that deprive the poor and the marginalised of their rights (Is. 10:1,2). The Old Testament, with its emphasis on justice for the poor, forms Christianity’s ethical foundation. The New Testament emphasis on personal salvation does not disregard the need for justice. Injustice is a consequence of sin. Jesus came to restore God’s image and likeness in humanity so that justice will again rule the earth. James warns “rich oppressors” (Jas 5:1-6). It is “with justice” that Jesus “judges and makes war” (Rev. 19:11).

Early in His public ministry Jesus announced His mission in words that reflect Isaiah 61:1,2: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Lk. 4:18,19)

“Isaiah is appropriately called the Messianic prophet”[8]. The promised Messiah will “bring justice to the nations” and not “be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth” (Is. 42:1-4, see also Is. 9:7; 11:4; 32:1,6; 51:4,5).

Our lives are shaped by the things we hope for. If our hope is for material prosperity and security, the more we have of this the more contented we’ll be. If justice is our passion we will not be silent in the face of injustice. We will share God’s passion for fallen humanity. In love we will warn the unjust of God’s coming judgement. We will extend to the unjust God’s offer of grace. And we will proclaim to the world, in word and with action, the just principles of His kingdom.

God has a passion for justice. He offers the world the hope of a just future. What do we hope for?

Ken Marsh, Feb 2003

---

[1] Unless indicated otherwise, all Biblical references are taken from the New International Version, 1984, International Bible Society. KJV indicates quotes from the King James Version.

[2] The NIV Study Bible. Zondervan Bible Publishers. Grand Rapids. 1985. Footnote, Luke 16:29

[3] Francis, B. (2002). Making a ‘Big Noise’ about Fair Trade. Harambee. Volume XI, Issue 4. November 2002.

[4] Kernaghan, C. (2001). Sweatshops. In Roddick, A., Ed. Take it personally. How globalization affects you and powerful ways to challenge it. Harper Collins. London.

[5] Bohle, P. & Quinlan, M., (2000). The occupational health and safety problem. In Bohle, P. & Quinlan, M., (Ed.), Managing Occupational Health and Safety: A Multidisciplinary Approach. (2^nd Ed.) MacMillan. Melbourne.

[6] Suter, K. (2000). In Defence of Globalisation. UNSW Press. Sydney. p.p. 18,19.

[7] Ranald, P. (2002). Trading Away our Water Rights. Harambee. Volume XI, Issue 3. September 2002.

[8] Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, The. (1955). Volume 4. p.91. Review and Herald Publishing Association. Washington.

Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up

We say we are a people of hope. Other belief systems would also argue they offer people hope. The Eastern mystic longs for release from the constraints of a physical existence to a future of eternal bliss in a spiritual realm. How is the hope we offer different to that of other worldviews?

Our salvation story is grounded in the reality of the relationships found in the Creation account of Genesis 1-3. Christians are not promised a future eternity where disembodied spirits float around in a permanent state of bliss or sit on clouds playing harps – if, in fact, disembodied spirits can hold harps. Our hope is expressed in 2 Peter 3:13: "… we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness". In the Old Testament righteousness and justice go hand in hand. They are at the foundation of God's throne (Ps 89:14; 97:2). A righteous God loves justice (Ps 99:4). He delights in 'kindness, justice and righteousness" (Jer 9:24). It is the righteous who will inherit the land (Ps 37:29). "The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern" (Prov.28:7).

Sin destroyed the right relationships that existed in Eden. Eventually God delivered the Israelites from the oppression and injustice of Egypt to establish them as a beacon of righteousness to a world in darkness (Deut.4:5-8). Israel's failure to uphold the principles of justice enshrined in their Covenant with God resulted in their expulsion from the Promised Land. Despite Israel's failure God continued to hold out the promise of one who would bring justice to the nations (Is. 9:7; 11:4; 32:1; 42:1-4; 51:4,5).

Jesus announced his mission to the world in words that reflect Isaiah 61:1,2: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Lk. 4:18,19). Jesus had the highest regard for the Old Testament, which was know in His day as the Law and the Prophets. Jesus claimed He was the fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures. Heaven and earth may pass, said Jesus, but the smallest point of the Law will remain until all is fulfilled (Mt 5:17). In John 5:39,40 Jesus rebukes the Jews for searching the Scriptures that testify of Him and yet failing to accept Him. In Luke 24 on two different occasions following His resurrection Jesus "explained to them [His disciples] what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself" (Lk 24:27,44,45). Our hope today resides in this same Jesus, the promised Messiah who will rule the nations with righteousness and justice, thus restoring the harmony that existed between humanity and creation in the beginning (Ehp. 1:10; Col. 1:20).

The world cries out for justice. Economic inequality, trade laws that favor the rich and powerful, exploited labour forced to work in sweatshop conditions without the protection of health and safety legislation, refugees fleeing persecution with no one willing to grant them a home, children forced into prostitution, and child labour are just some of the symptoms of our sin-sick world. While the factors that contribute to global terrorism may be complex, I have no doubt that the hopelessness and despair created by poverty and the continued existence of Palestinian refugee settlements is a significant factor.

In the Old Testament disease, famine and bloodshed were the consequences of injustice. The spiritual condition of the people was reflected in the condition of the land. Perhaps the greatest injustice of our time is the wanton destruction of the natural environment. In the short term it is often the poorest and most powerless members of the human family who suffer the immediate consequences of the callous greed of others. In the long-term, future generations face a diminished existence as a result of the destructive ways of current generations.

In words that ring with relevance to the modern world, God spoke to ancient Israel through the prophet Hosea:

Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites, because the LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: "There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgement of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying, murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are all dying" (Hos. 4:1-3).

Two things have not changed throughout the course of human history – the nature of God and the condition of the unregenerate human heart. Rebellion against God produces the same social and environmental consequences today as it did in the time of Hosea.

I am drawn to a Saviour who has a passion for justice and who offers the only lasting solution to the injustices of our world. I have great respect for those who through peaceful protest, organised campaigns, and their support for people and organisations working to alleviate injustice, seek to make the world a better place. Many of these fail to see the Church as relevant and I ask why. Is the Church seen as being more interested in maintaining the status quo? Are we as Christians too caught up in the service of consumerism? Or is the Christ we proclaim merely a pale reflection of the genuine and our message one of escapism? It is appropriate for the Church to relate prophecies such as those of Matthew 24 to world conditions as signs of the soon coming return of Jesus. We present the prophecies to appeal to people's anxieties and present Jesus as the way out. We make no clear connection between global conditions, our sin and the Christian mandate to work for justice. If we are to properly represent Jesus to the world we will follow the example of His ministry. Jesus worked to alleviate human suffering, challenged the unjust social, religious and political structures of His day, and preached the gospel of God's grace. To do less is to present a distorted, narrow picture of Christ. The gospel without a charter of social engagement is simply another form of escapism.

It is the Law and the Prophets that testify of Jesus Christ. These clearly articulate God's principles of justice. We can share our hope in Jesus in terms of his coming to reign with righteousness and justice and relate current social and environmental conditions to the consequences of our rebellion against God's principles.  This message, I believe, has relevance and urgency in its appeal to peoples of all nations to "Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and springs of water" (Rev. 14:7).

(March 2008)