Category: Philosophical

Freedom.

We recently celebrated the 4th of July here in the U.S.A. One of the main things we celebrate on this day is the concept of freedom. This got me thinking about what freedom is… and what it is not.

Free from… / Freedom to…

Total freedom (the ability to do whatever one wants without consequences) is actually a bad idea. For example, no one should have the freedom to commit acts of evil. When we talk about freedom, what we’re really talking about are individual freedoms (plural). These fall into two broad categories: freedom to do something, and freedom from something.

Our founding fathers believed in freedom from oppression. They risked everything, including their lives, to throw off the yoke of a tyrannical government. They also believed we had certain God-given rights, and they enshrined specific freedoms in the Constitution. Among these are freedom to peaceably assemble, freedom to worship God, and freedom to speak our minds.

Spiritual freedom.

Spiritually speaking, we are all born slaves. Slaves to sin. And sin is a cruel master, promising pleasure but delivering death. Have you ever seen a meth addict? Sin is like spiritual meth. It feels good for a while, but eventually it owns you, and you cannot escape its destructive effects.

A slave to sin puts “self” above all else. He is his own idol, his own god. He chases wealth, fame, and pleasure, believing these things will bring him happiness. But satisfaction is always just out of his reach, he becomes a prisoner of his passions, and sin slowly eats away at his soul.

Jesus talks about spiritual slavery in the book of John:

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.“

They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.“

John 8:31-34

There is only one way to be free from the tyranny of sin, and that is through Jesus Christ.

because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:2

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:36

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

Romans 5:8-9

One master or another.

Spiritual freedom is a bit of a paradox, because the Bible makes it clear that we have to serve something. Here are a few verses that illustrate what I mean:

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

Romans 6:16

You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

Romans 6:18

Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.

I Peter 2:16

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

Romans 6:22

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

I Corinthians 6:19-20

Why trade one master for another? What’s the difference? The difference is, God is a loving and kind master who wants what is best for us. We serve Him willingly because we owe Him everything, and to serve Him is to serve absolute Goodness, Truth, Love, Righteousness, and Peace. There is nothing higher or nobler one could dedicate themselves to.

We serve because His yoke is easy, His burden is light, and we enjoy rest for our souls (Mathew 11: 29-30).

True spiritual freedom is both freedom from sin and freedom to serve.

More than slaves.

As Christians, even though God is our Master, it’s not accurate to say that we are His slaves, at least not in the common understanding of the word. God could enslave all of humanity if He wanted to, force us to do His bidding, and there would be nothing we could do about it. But He wants us to come to Him and submit willingly.

Amazingly, scripture teaches that when we accept Christ as savior and are freed from sin, when we pledge our loyalty to our new Master, He goes far beyond anything we have a right to ask of Him: He elevates us to the position of sons and daughters, joint heirs with Christ!

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.

And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 

Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Romans 8:14-17

The process of moving from a slave to sin to a child of God is something I have experienced personally. It feels like a crushing burden lifted off your back; like cruel, iron shackles falling away from your wrists and ankles. I pray you find the same relief that I have. Call out to Jesus and experience true freedom!

Is Faith Foolish?

faith; noun

“firm belief in something for which there is no proof“.

Merriam-Webster

Many people today are confused about the meaning of the word faith. They think it means believing in something ridiculous or absurd without any evidence. But that’s not what faith is, and what they don’t realize is that most of what they believe requires a measure of faith. Why? Because it’s extremely difficult to actually prove anything.

True faith is not about believing in things that are fanciful or unreasonable, rather it is a firm belief based on logic, evidence, experience, and inference when proof is not available.

For example, I have faith that the Earth is spherical. I can’t prove it, but I’m convinced the earth is shaped like a ball, spins on its axis, and rotates around the sun. Since I’ve never personally circumnavigated the globe, or viewed our planet from outer space, my belief in a globe-shaped Earth requires a bit of faith.

So it is with faith in God. I can’t prove His existence, but I’ve seen ample evidence to justify belief in Him. If you’re an atheist or agnostic, I encourage you to seek out the evidence for yourself. If you’ll read the works of Stephen Meyer, C.S. Lewis, and William Lane Craig with an open mind, you will find a wide range of scientific and philosophical reasons to believe that God is real.

Christian faith.

The Bible is the foundation of Christian faith. The Bible says that we are all doomed sinners. It says that Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, died in our place; that He rose from the grave on the third day; that all who repent and call upon His name will be saved.

This good news, passed down for thousands of years, has been the hope and joy of countless people. It takes faith to believe it. Christians have faith that the Bible is true, faith that Jesus is who He claimed to be, and faith that salvation is ours because of what Jesus did on Calvary.

But I want to know!

It was either Paulo Bitencourt or Carl Sagan who said, “I don’t want to believe, I want to know!” (Ironically, I’ve seen this quote attributed to both men, so I don’t know who said it, but I believe it was Bitencourt). I get it. Faith, by definition, means to believe without knowing; to believe without proof. Isn’t it better to know? To have proof and no room for doubt?

Why doesn’t God just provide us with definitive proof and render faith unnecessary? I don’t know, but God’s ways are higher than my ways; His thoughts higher than my thoughts. In lieu of proof, He has given us sufficient evidence, and He asks us to walk by faith, not by sight… for now.

There will come a day when faith will no longer be necessary. The day Jesus returns as King and Judge. On that day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord. For those who know Him as Savior it will be a glorious day; for those who do not, it will be terrifying.

Until that day comes, I will hold fast to my faith, and to the hope I have in Him.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:23

Why Do People Believe In God?

I’ve always found the question, “why do you believe in God?” difficult to answer. When asked, my instinct is to provide intellectual reasons for my belief. For example:

I believe because…

  • …I find the philosophical arguments for God’s existence compelling (e.g. the cosmological, ontological, teleological, and moral arguments).
  • …the writings of men like Blaise Pascal, Gottfried Leibniz, René Descartes, and Sir Isaac Newton ring true to me.
  • …evidence put forth by scientists like Stephen Meyer, Michael Behe, and James Tour, points to a Creator.
  • …Christian apologists like Frank Turek and William Lane Craig present logically sound reasons for belief in God.

However, I read something recently that made me rethink my answer to the question. It was on the last page of a book called Symbolism and Belief by Edwyn Bevan.

The actual reason people believe.

To paraphrase Mr. Bevan, people don’t come to a belief in God because they are convinced by rational arguments, rather, belief in God comes first, and the arguments provide a justification for their belief. The final sentence of Symbolism and Belief reads as follows: “What actually causes anyone to believe in God is direct perception of the Divine.”(emphasis mine)

I’ve been pondering this statement for the last few weeks. Is it true? And if it is, what are the ramifications? I’ve been reflecting on my own belief, and thinking about the testimonies of other believers, and I think Mr. Bevan is correct.

What does it mean to perceive?

Merriam-Webster defines the word perceive as follows: to attain awareness or understanding of.

Awareness of something automatically creates a belief in that thing’s existence. For example, when I see the coffee mug sitting on the desk in front of me, based on that perception, I believe the mug exists. It would be difficult (not to mention irrational) for me to believe the mug does not exist. I can see it. I can touch it. My direct perception of the mug is strong evidence for its existence.

But how does one perceive the Divine? Does it require a supernatural experience? I personally have never witnessed a miracle, or received a visit from an angel. I’ve not seen God with my eyeballs. I’ve not heard Him with my ears. What then constitutes my direct perception of the Divine? Why do I believe?

Certainly, things that I have seen, heard, and felt have contributed to my awareness and understanding of God. In my mind’s-eye, I see countless experiences and memories, small slices of my life, as if they were photographs. Some of these “photos” are dark, while others have a powerful glow that hints at something beyond the material world. When all the pieces are viewed together, they form a mosaic. They create an unmistakable “image” of God.

That is the best way I can describe my personal perception of the Divine, and it’s as compelling a reason for me to believe in the existence of God, as seeing my coffee mug is reason to believe in the existence of the mug.

Lights in the darkness.

If belief in God comes from direct perception of the Divine, what then is our role in helping others come to belief? I believe Jesus spelled it out for us in the sermon on the mount.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Mathew 5: 14 -16

When Christ is at the center of our lives, we become like beacons that nonbelievers can see. When they see Christ in us, they perceive the Divine, and that is what leads them to believe.

The bottom line is, we’re not likely to change anyone’s mind about God by telling them the intellectual reasons for our belief. No doubt, they have already heard and rejected such arguments. As such, our focus ought to be on living out our faith so that others can perceive the Divine in us.

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